Seven Years of Winter
by IronBell
Summary: She was a normal person trying to survive the Army when she got caught up in a SHIELD experiment gone wrong. Now with the threat of another realm looming over Earth, her odd, blooming relationship with the God of Mischief doesn't seem so dangerous.
1. Bad Puns

**I went to go see The Avengers last weekend, and loved it instantly. I grew up reading the comics over my cousins' shoulder, so I was super excited, no matter how many adaptations were made. Of course, I've loved Tom Hiddleston's version of Loki since 'Thor' came out, and The Avengers gave me that extra push to start writing.**

**Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

_The day was sweltering, and the air was heavy with that kind of dry heat that stuffs into the lungs. The drive across the barren land had been long, and increasingly boring. Wynn knew that by the time they got to the village, there was a good chance it wouldn't be standing. _

_ "Look alive, Randall. We need your attention," McPhee shouted over the roar of the jeep, and she nodded, tearing her gaze from her feet to straight ahead. She should prepare anyway – being in a ground Army troop didn't exactly offer peace. Just a ton of children with sloughing skin and jagged bones, rampant poverty and disease. It was gruesome, but the small bits of triumph were worth it. Or so she told herself._

_ "Shit," Samson cursed, peeking out of the tarp. _

_ "Is it finished?" she asked, though she already knew the answer._

"_Dead flat."_

_The Jeep stuttered to a stop and they jumped out, hauling the bags of first aid and nutritional supplies with them. Samson was right – all that was left of the village was a mass of ash. The stink was unbearable, and Wynn barely held down the vomit that clawed up her throat._

"_Janjaweed has already been here. We'll move in, look for any survivors. Be careful, don't let your guard slip," McPhee ordered, and cut her a look. "That means you, Randall."_

_She nodded, and when he turned his back, sent him a mock salute with her eyes crossed. Samson just rolled his eyes at her and moved away, probably wondering why they had gotten the reject on their squad. _

_Well, boo to you too, she thought bitterly, and hiked up her backpack. One step, two step – and suddenly, the sky was exploding. A loud whistling filled the air to the brim, and somewhere, she heard Samson scream. The sunlight seemed to engulf her. One second she was moving forward, the next she was flying through the air, her sight blanked out by white. _

_She had a mother who still loved her, sort of, and a father to visit in the cemetery, and a puppy waiting for her at home and she prayed to some God before she hit the ground with a crash. Her spine snapped and everything went to black. _

_When she awoke, the sun was going down and the desert was growing cold. The smell of rot flooded in and she turned her head to vomit. It spewed, and ran across the dry ground to hit a pair of feet encased in black leather. With a groan, she lolled her head upwards, and the face of a tall, black man blocked the sun. His one non-patched eye seemed to accuse her._

"_This territory was supposed to be off-limits," the man said, leaning down to her. She could only stare at him, her head aching so much it felt like it would split._

"_There's some nasty stuff around her, the kind of thing you weren't supposed to see." He paused, took her jaw, and examined it._

"_But you'll find out pretty damn soon, Wynn Randall. Sorry you're gonna be stuck with this surprise."_

_Before she could reply, black began to seep around the corners of her sight._

* * *

**Two Years Later**

"What do you think, Nanook?" Wynn turned side to side, white-blonde hair stuffed into one fist, observing the collar of her new training outfit. The reflection of her Saint Bernard only regarded her with a calm eye, head propped on his massive paws.

"You're never any help," she sighed, and let her hair fall. The collar would stay down, she decided. Popping the collar would seem very desperate.

"I want to fit in, you know. I've been training to move up in the ranks, but…whatever," she trailed off, leaning to grab the I.D. card Fury had assigned her. She was supposed to go to what she dubbed, "Fury's Super Special Secret Meeting Place" and find whatever guard had been luckless enough to get assigned pick-up duty. Fury was vague on the details, but she gathered that he was buffing up his security and she was heading to a place that would probably be mind-blowingly dangerous. But, what was dangerous anymore, really?

"All right, I'm gone. Don't pee on the floor, don't eat the leftover Chinese and definitely don't eat Anna when she comes to let you out," Wynn said, pointing with what she considered a stern finger at Nanook. He thumped his tail and rolled over on his side.

_I'll accept that, _she thought wearily, and headed out, making sure to slam the door shut behind her and lock it tightly.

She tucked herself deeply into her trench coat, attempting to hide from the freezing New York wind. By the time she arrived at the run-down warehouse, she was grumpy from the two hour walk and gnashing her teeth. She could almost feel her metabolism humming beneath her skin, screaming for food to keep up the boiling temperature her body had adapted to.

Wynn stared up at the old building, thinking that it was cliché, even for Fury. Suddenly, something flew into her line of vision and she immediately crouched, muscles squeezing tight.

"Easy, cougar. I see the tag. C'mon, or we'll miss our ride," a voice hissed at her, and she followed the source to see a woman standing in one of the many broken windows. The woman leapt through the smashed glass opening with ease, her bright red hair flying up and landing back into its perfect shape. Wynn huffed a lock of unruly hair from her eye and tried not to look indignant.

The girl walked away without another word, and Wynn fell in line behind her, keeping the silence. They circled around to the back of the old building district, where a helicopter sat in an overgrown plot of land.

"Hop in," the woman told her, and she did, strapping in immediately to avoid wasting time.

As the blades started to whir, the woman nudged her arm and said, "Natasha Romanoff."

Oh, she _knew_ the woman had looked familiar. After the few "incidents" the city had been bombarded with, Wynn had seen constant coverage on the news. Never the real names, of course, but who would forget Black Widow?

"Wynn Randall," she shouted, now that the blades were going full-force. They slowly lifted off the ground and maneuvered out of the area, zipping above the desolate buildings.

"Oh, so you're the new kid," Natasha shouted back, with a small smile. "This'll be fun."

_Fun. I'm sure._

Wynn offered what she thought was a smile but was probably a mangled grimace before turning her head to look out the window. Her whole body whirred with worry, excitement, and okay, a little bit of nausea. But she kept that one to herself – her vomit and Fury's shoes had a bad history.

* * *

"It's ridiculous," Stark complained, throwing down the computer pad. He leaned onto the blueprint board, clearly in a sulk.

"Maybe," Banner offered with a shrug. "But even the daftest agents have noticed something odd brewing. It won't be long before the citizens catch on."

"Yeah, I get that. I also get Fury calling Thor back so we can complete our little study group, but _Loki?_ Why the hell does cat-box boy have to come?"

Banner stared a Stark with a blank expression, idly screwing in a nail to some foreign-looking weapon.

"…Cat-box boy?"

"I'm not even kitten."

"As much as I appreciate your…humor, try to keep it to yourself. You know why he has to come. If Thor leaves him alone in Asgard, he'll destroy the place," Banner sighed, scrubbing his face.

Stark only grunted in response, picking the pad back up to fiddle with it. He chuckled to himself, then, and Banner looked at him quizzically.

"What?"

"Just thinking how I could go for some shawarma right meow."

"…Just stop."

Before Stark could retort, a sudden crash of thunder rumbled in the sky above the tower, and they looked at each other as Pepper's voice crackled from the intercom.

"Uh…guys, there's a blue portal landing on the helicopter pad."

Stark raised a brow at Banner, who just gave the nail one final screw before placing the weapon gently into his pocket.

"Well, honey, let's go greet our house guests."

"Please don't call me honey."

* * *

Wynn watched as the helicopter flew away, wishing she could wave it back. As soon as they had arrived at their destination, she had given Natasha the best "you've got to be kidding" face she could muster.

"I was expecting to show up somewhere in the middle of the ocean or underground…not Stark's tower."

"Well, it's his second tower."

"It's across the city," she had grumbled. "I could have just taken the subway and ridden up the elevator."

"He's a little paranoid from the security breaches," Natasha pointed out, but shrugged. "Personally, I think he just doesn't want anyone in his elevator. He's possessive."

"We've met," Wynn said dryly. And they had met, sadly. Stark was a funny guy, sure – he was also narcissistic, way too proud of his accomplishments, and just didn't know when to shut up.

Natasha gave a noncommittal sound of understanding before heading to the stairway.

"Let's go. The last of them arrived this morning, and Fury will be here soon to tell you exactly what's going on."

_Exactly, I'm so sure, _Wynn thought. Nothing was ever exact with that man. He was more secretive than a teen boy hiding porn.

Nevertheless, she rushed to catch up and tried not to look over the side as she picked her way across the railroad-like tracks that led to the sliding glass doors.

"Does he run model trains through here?" she asked, and Natasha snorted.

"No, he's too lazy to come inside and take off the suit, so he just walks through here and the machinery takes if off for him."

"I'm actually kind of jealous."

"Don't say that – he'll rub it in your face," Natasha warned, before holding up her hand to a security pad. It scanned her palm before the doors opened with a hiss. Wynn trailed in behind her, surveying the tall ceiling and fancy marble bar that overlooked the room. They trotted up the few steps and headed for the hallway, which led to a heavily glossed wooden door. Natasha gave her a look before opening the door and barging in.

Wynn barely had time to process the sleek conference room before an obnoxiously familiar voice called,

"Hey Nat, it's about time!"

Wynn immediately locked eyes with Stark, who gave her a wink and pointed his finger at her.

"Nice to see you again, Wynny the Pooh."

"…Are you serious, Stark?"

"One hundred percent."

She sighed and fought the urge to flip the vase beside her straight into his face before her eyes scanned the rest of the table guests.

There was Banner, whom she had met once before. She liked him considerably better than Stark – he was soft-spoken and kind to her, which made her wonder how he and Stark got on so well.

Then there was the Captain, as gorgeous and blonde as usual. He had eluded her, so she had no idea what to expect. Something ending with a "ma'am", she was sure.

Natasha had gone to cuddle up beside Hawkeye, who she had the most interaction with. He hung around the base a lot more than any of the others and had been closer with Coulson, so Wynn had gotten to know him a bit.

Stark, ew.

And then there were the last two. She recognized Thor from the television coverage, and he was even bigger in real life, if that was possible. His muscles bulged dangerously under the chainmail, and she made a mental note to steer clear of his path lest he run her over and not notice. The man to his right was dwarfed in muscle comparison, but not height. He was almost as tall, but leaner, with slicked back hair and cheekbones that could kill. She met his cool seafoam gaze and mutually returned the sneer that he seemed to convey just through his eyes.

_Loki. Awesome._ She'd recognize that batshit crazy look through gossip alone.

"Have a seat, Wynny."

"It's Wynn, Stark."

"Whatever. Sit."

Of course, the only seat available was the one across from Loki, who seemed to be trying to taze her with his glare alone. She plopped down and tried to ignore the awkward air that had taken over the room. They all seemed to be catching each others' eyes before looking away quickly, except for herself and Loki. She set her jaw and stared right back at him. But while he seemed perfectly calm, if not hateful, a nervous trickle of sweat glided down the back of her neck. The guy had a set of gawkers that made her want to shrivel on the spot.

_Shut up, Wynn, _she screamed at herself. _You could totally take him out. Or at least land a good stomping on his crotch and run. _

Almost as if he read her mind, he smiled suddenly, his lips parting to reveal a perfectly straight row of pearls.

_I'm screwed. _


	2. Playing Shadow

**I have **_**The Prose Edda **_**but hadn't cracked it open for a long time. Reading it again and comparing the Loki of mythology to Marvel's Loki is a mind trip. It makes Marvel's Loki look innocent. Anyway, thank you readers for the lovely reviews!**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

After a few more awkward minutes of staring and Stark obnoxiously clearing his throat, Fury finally showed up, looking as peeved as usual. He threw a manila folder onto the table and jumped right in, skipping any greeting.

"As you all probably know, things up in the sky have been shady at best. Our air guard have been getting abnormal readings for a while now. Some sort of heat source not linked to the weather."

Fury cut a look at Thor, and added, "Not the kind we've been exposed to before."

"Do we have anything else to go off of, other than 'abnormal readings'?" Banner asked.

"That, and something occurred in the city the other day around 2 a.m. We latched on before the police force could. A man was found in some back alley with his heart missing."

"…Missing."

"It had been ripped out."

Wynn felt her throat tighten at the idea of it, and Fury glanced at her before continuing.

"We wouldn't have gotten involved because the NYPD handles any civilian homicides. But around 1 a.m., those readings were off the charts. Something was channeling in the sky before that man was murdered. We immediately planted ears in all branches of the government, and when the civilian murder came up, we got on the issue before anyone else could."

"I don't really see how these two things connect. New York doesn't exactly have the lowest crime rate," Wynn pointed out, hoping that Fury's paranoia was the only issue.

"His heart was ripped out with brute force. This wasn't a clean operation. The lab also found a strange residue on his clothes. It wasn't traceable to any chemical known on Earth."

The room fell quiet as they all soaked up the information Fury had bombarded them with. For once, Stark had no witty commentary and Wynn was grateful for that. His quips had no place here.

_Ripped out. _She mulled over the idea of it, of just walking home one night and having your heart snatched from your chest. Even with all of her training, it was enough to make a little shudder run up her spine.

"Well, you didn't invite us all here at once to just sit around. There's no hard evidence," Steve said, arms crossed. Wynn wondered if that guy ever uncrossed his arms or his eyebrows.

"No. What I need is the team to be on top of things. The few times we've needed all of you at once, it's been a mess. If this is going to get as bad as it seems, _hard evidence _or not, we need to be prepared. Not running around everywhere, on drinking binges in the middle of the mission."

Fury narrowed his eye at Stark, who threw his hands up in self-defense.

"One time thing. Scouts honor."

Fury grunted and flipped open the manila folder that he had thrown onto the table.

"These are you assignments, _in print_. I expect them to be followed."

As he passed out each paper, he skipped over Loki, opting to just tell him, "Your only assignment is to sit your ass down and not take over Earth."

Loki glared up at Fury as he passed and smirked.

"You have my word."

Another shudder racked Wynn's body. His voice was so smooth – and pure mischief. This guy sat her on edge; she felt like she should be waiting for him to spring up and start on a murderous rampage. Smiling while he did it, of course.

"All right, everyone out, meeting adjourned. Go make yourselves useful. Wynn, stay here," Fury ordered, and shooed them away. All of them got up quickly, save for Stark, who took his sweet time, and Loki, who refused to budge (probably just to be difficult). Thor reached for his arm to pull him but the God jerked away, his lip curled in disgust.

_Isn't he pleasant, _she thought warily. Loki dragged himself from the chair and shuffled in line behind Thor, looking none too pleased.

"Good luck, Pooh-bear," Stark hissed as he went past.

"It's _Wynn_."

"Same thing."

Fury slammed the door shut behind them, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed.

"Sometimes I think it'd just be easier to let Earth be destroyed."

"Director?"

"Just a joke. Sort of."

"No, I understand _that, _sir. But I didn't get a paper. Am I getting a new head trainer?"

Fury stood quietly, hands clasped behind his back, and gave her a hard stare before pacing to the other side of the table. He picked up the empty manila folder and flicked it around for a moment, as if he was trying to formulate his words.

"No," he said, "No new trainer. No new anything. You've moved along quickly, Randall. I thought for a while you'd never recover from the explosion. But you pushed past it and you've done well."

"Sir?"

"I'm assigning you a duty. And I swear to God, if you mess this up, I'm kicking you out faster than you can apologize."

"Yes, sir."

Her heart thrummed quickly in her chest, and her face muscles twitched from trying to quell the smile that wanted to pop up. Finally, some trust. Fury actually thought that she could be useful, and that made her feel…good. Great, even. Her first mission, with the Avengers, and she'd-

"I want you to shadow Loki."

…Oh.

_Oh sweet Jesus, no._

"_What?" _she cried.

Fury threw up his hands and shushed her.

"Now, I know it seems bad-"

"_Loki? _Fury, I mean – sir, I can't do that! He'll slit my throat while I'm at the coffee machine!"

"I didn't put you through all those hours of hell to let you get your ass handed to you. Randall, you can handle this."

Wynn gaped at him, began to say something, _anything _to get her out of this, but nothing came out. Fury studied her face, as if waiting for her to cry. Or throw a chair through the window. When she said nothing at all, he continued, slowly, as if trying to soothe a rabid dog.

"Loki is unpredictable. I wouldn't trust him to do a thing. But he can't be left in Asgard alone, and he can't just wander around, looking to cause trouble. I need you to keep track of his every move, and the rest of the Avengers, for that matter."

"Why the rest of them?"

"Get all of those stubborn heroes together and it's chaos. I can barely keep track of them, and even giving them assignments-"

"In print," she added.

"Yes, in print. I know that if things get hectic they'll be off trying to solve everything at once in different directions. Your job is simple. Listen, observe, keep them in cruise control, and report everything to me. And I mean everything."

Fury adjusted his eye patch, squared off his shoulders, and headed for the door.

"You're officially on-duty. Go find Loki, and get cozy with him. You'll be spending lots of quality time together."

Wynn watched him go, and as soon as the door clicked shut, she slammed her head down on the table and groaned. Something that felt a lot like despair twisted around her gut. God, she felt like she was back in high school, about to give an oral report. She had seen the way he had looked at her - like he wanted to jump into her mind and mess with her until she broke. It didn't matter if he was under observation or if she was nearly impossible to kill. Her fear was still very real and very human.

But Fury knew what he was talking about. He wouldn't let her do this if she wasn't ready. And if Fury trusted her to do this, then she certainly wouldn't give him a reason to lose whatever shred of faith he had in her. She slowly straightened up and got to her feet, steeling herself for what was to come next.

_Let's go find Loki, then._

* * *

_"_I think all the boys went down to Stark's lab, actually. Something about guy time." Natasha glanced at Hawkeye, who raised an eyebrow. "No offense."

"Ah, thanks. I'll go look."

"Need me to show you the way?" Natasha asked, though she didn't exactly seem to be jumping at the opportunity to play tour girl.

"No, thanks. I'll wander around till I find it. I can maybe break a few things on the way there, too. Stark deserves it for the Winnie the Pooh cracks."

Natasha shrugged and gave her a half-smile. "Good luck. What's the big rush to find them, though? I thought you would have had enough with the meeting."

Wynn winced a little internally, knowing that she'd have to admit to the team that she was supposed to be playing Loki's shadow eventually.

"I sort of need to find Loki. Fury wants me to play babysitter to make sure he doesn't try to sneak off and murder anyone or push old ladies out of their wheelchairs."

Natasha stared at her for a second before she starting laughing, almost spilling the drink she had clutched in her hand.

"I am so, so sorry," she gasped.

"Yeah. So, I'll go find them now. Thanks."

She walked away with what little pride she had left, leaving Natasha, who still hadn't quite managed to tame her giggling. It wasn't as humiliating as she had thought, but the idea of it was still ridiculous. At least she had kept the fact that she was going to be watching all of them to herself, though. Wynn had a feeling that they wouldn't be happy to find out she was parroting all of their actions to Fury.

After taking a thousand wrong turns and almost breaking Stark's elevator, she finally found the level that the lab rested on. When the doors opened, she heard Thor's laughter boom from somewhere down the hallway.

_Awesome. Guy-bonding time. God, I hope they're not swapping fart jokes._

She made her way down the hall, and with each step, her heartbeat got just a little faster. Her mind hadn't exactly come up with a plan of attack yet.

_So, Loki, I know I just met you and we probably hate each other, but I'm basically going to watch your every move except for when you go to the bathroom. Maybe then, too, if the bathroom has a window. _

Brilliant.


	3. Glass

**This is a pretty long one! Yay. More Loki time, too, which is always good. A huge thank you to all reviewers and alerters and favoriters and yeah. You're all awesome.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

Wynn pressed her face against the glass, wondering when they'd notice her. She'd been standing there for a few minutes, torn between the idea of knocking on the glass door or waiting to be invited in. There was a palm-reactant lock on all of the entrances in Stark's tower, so it's not like she could just barge in. Instead, she was warily watching the back of Loki's head rotate around, following all of the manly hand gestures that Stark and Banner were making.

Thor's face was the only one she could even see in profile, and he looked thoroughly confused as to what the two scientists were talking about. Across from him, the Captain was just leaning against one of the steel tables, probably contemplating how he could sneak out unnoticed. Maybe he was looking for an escape route when he noticed her, and pointed her out to the rest of them.

They all swiveled around at once and Wynn gave them an awkward wave, trying not to seem like she had been waiting there for too long. Stark headed over to the door and held up his hand for the lock to scan, and the glass door slid open smoothly.

"Hey there," she said, and paused, not sure how to explain why she was there to Stark. Or any of them, for that matter. Loki least of all.

"Been standing there long?" Stark asked, not even looking at her as he turned back around to the circle of manliness.

"Only about five minutes," she admitted, and Banner looked up from the odd-looking weapon that Stark had handed him to give her a pitying look.

"Why didn't you just knock?"

"Ah, I didn't want to disturb the bonding time."

Loki snorted, and she shot him a glare. He readily returned it, save for the small quirk that lifted one side of his lips. He knew exactly how much he unnerved her and took great pleasure in it, which just made it one hundred times worse. He flicked his eyes down her body and back up, as if assessing her, and she wondered if she could get a good grip on his jaw so she could throw him headfirst through one of the glass walls.

"_Anyway," _Banner said, a little bit too loud, "Was there something you needed? I figured you'd be sick of us by now."

She shrugged, and the truth tried clawing its way to her mouth, but instead what popped out was,

"I was just looking for something to do. Stark is always entertaining."

Stark clapped his hands together, and half-yelled, "Finally, someone admits it! Banner says I just like to cause trouble, but I don't see it."

"I don't-"

"Speaking of entertaining! I'm firing this baby up." Stark snatched the weapon from Banner's hand, which Banner immediately tried to grab back.

"Stark, there is _no way _we're trying that here. It's a prototype. It needs to be taken to the shooting range."

"What could possibly go wrong?" Stark said, and Wynn tried to say "everything," but Stark cut her off by pulling back the stopper on the weapon. Two prongs spliced out from the front and a strange buzz emitted.

"Stark, do not fire that thing!" Banner was all but yelling now, and all of them started to simultaneously back away.

"Calm down! I even set up a target."

Wynn looked to where Stark pointed, and saw only a poorly drawn circle on the only concrete wall the lab had, about 50 yards away.

_You've got to be kidding me, _she thought, but apparently he wasn't. He pulled the trigger at the same time Banner yelled his name, and a loud boom stung the air. It wasn't called a prototype for nothing – the blast completely went to the left of the target and into the glass wall. She didn't even have time to curse before there was exploding glass everywhere. Loki slammed into her as they all attempted to duck, and she was crushed into the floor. His sharp jaw grazed her cheek, and the shock of his cold skin felt almost soothing. A whiff of peppermint crossed her nose as he rolled off of her and staggered up. She lay there for a moment and listened to the last bits of glass scatter before the yelling began.

"Stark, you're a buffoon!" Cap accused, emerging from under the table he had used for cover.

"You need to update your insults, really. And I told you it was a prototype," he defended.

"That was _me," _Banner growled, and then took a deep breath to calm himself. He lowered his fists and then, slowly, with shaking hands, put his glasses back on.

"Impressive, though," Thor pointed out, probably more to ease the tension than anything. He hadn't even attempted to duck, opting instead to just lower his head. The explosion hadn't even fazed him. As Wynn climbed to her feet, she heard Loki snap,

"You mortals never think before you take action. It's a wonder you haven't all destroyed yourselves yet."

"That's what makes Midgard so exciting, brother," Thor said, but Loki just grunted and brushed a piece of glass from his collar.

"It's what makes it so intolerable, _brother,_" Loki spat, and Wynn rolled her eyes.

"Stark is always doing shit like this. Some humans actually think before they do something stupid," Wynn said. Loki's eyes flickered over to her, and raised a brow.

"That doesn't sound anything at all like gratitude," he said.

"What do I owe you gratitude for?"

"I saved your pathetic self from being obliterated."

"You act like it was a nuclear blast. And you didn't intentionally "save" me, you just knocked into me by accident," she snapped. Before he could reply, something warm and wet ran into her eye, and she flinched away, slapping a hand to her face.

"You cut the hell out of your head," Stark said, and she pulled back her hand to look at her fingers. They were smeared with blood, and she grimaced.

"Ugh. Do you have a paper towel or something?" she asked, and while Stark went off to fetch her a rag, Banner prodded at her forehead gently.

"It's small but deep. You need to disinfect it first," he advised, but she waved his hand away.

"Don't worry about it; I just want to clean my face."

Banner stared at her like he wanted to protest, but she moved away to reach the rag that Stark was coming back with. Stark stared at her while she dabbed at her head, and without any warning, poked her cut. Hard, with enough force that she could feel the pressure.

"Good Lord, Stark, don't _do _that!" Cap snapped, and pushed Stark's arm away. Stark ignored Rogers and squinted his eyes at Wynn instead.

"You didn't even feel that, did you?"

"Nope."

"I'll never get used to that," Stark commented, and paused before asking, "How long till it closes?"

"Almost done. I can feel it."

"Oh." Stark turned away and waved Banner over. "C'mere, you'll want to see this. It's like a freakshow."

"Thanks," she muttered, but craned her head down so that Banner and her captive audience could see the wound clearly. It made her feel like a freak when people did this to her, and they had done it a lot after S.H.I.E.L.D had gotten their hands on her. Even Loki leaned in to watch as the cut on her forehead slowly stitched itself together, skin cell by skin cell, until it had merged to only leave a slight red mark and dried blood on her skin.

"What in Valhalla is this? White magic?" Thor asked, sounding extremely confused. "I thought mortals possessed no magic."

"It's not magic. The first time I saw it I had to meet Fury for some new weapon design. She stepped in front of one of Hawkeye's arrows while he was practicing, which I'll still never let you live down, by the way." Stark waggled his eyebrows at her and she curled her lip at him.

"Went right through her side. I thought they'd ship her off to the ER but within five minutes she was walking around like she had never been stupid enough to get hurt."

"It was an accident," she snarled, scrubbing the flakes of blood from her head.

"That isn't possible, unless you've left out some detail about being a normal human," Banner pointed out. He had taken off his glasses and crossed his arms, which apparently meant that he was in super-serious contemplation mode.

"I was. And I still am, sort of. I was in the army when S.H.I.E.L.D got a hold of me. They were testing a new explosive in Comoros and apparently didn't know my troop was re-routed there. But it wasn't just meant to kill directly – it had a toxin radius of 100 miles. That's why they chose a landlocked country, middle-of-nowhere type deal."

"What kind of toxin are we talking about here?" Banner asked, chewing on the end of his glasses.

"It was designed to immobilize and shut down the organs in a very short time frame. But obviously the kinks weren't worked out. It basically put my body into a sort of permanent homeostasis – the process began like it planned to. I was paralyzed, and my body began to overwork in order to fight off the toxin…and it stopped there. Now all of my organs, metabolism, everything works at a super-high rate. And nothing has changed. They ran tests on me every day, but I showed no sign of change. My body parts stopped growing, my skin cells never died."

"And your body hardly recognizes pain as a result of the immobilization period," Banner guessed, and she nodded, feeling weary. Regurgitating the story made her tired.

"What about the rest of your troop? Are there more like you?" Rogers asked.

_More like me, _she thought, _and suddenly I'm an alien race._

"They died. I was the only one who lived, and barely," she said. Admitting everything aloud made her stomach twist. She honestly preferred to avoid the whole subject. The sight of the other soldiers in pieces and the constant tests that she endured weren't something she tended to re-visit. Rodgers eyes met her for a second – there was a mutual understanding there - before going to the floor.

"After my brief recovery period, I began training for S.H.I.E.L.D. It seemed like the only option. Either take me in as an agent, or risk giving me back to society as a science experiment." Banner snorted at the "science experiment" bit, and she looked at him. A little guilt gnawed at her, considering what Banner had endured with S.H.I.E.L.D. There was an awkward silence as everyone processed this new bit of knowledge before Stark broke in. Of course.

"Well, kids," Stark announced, clapping his hands. "After this delightful story, I need some booze. I vote a field trip to the bar."

"I'm up for that," Wynn said dryly.

"We mean no disrespect, Stark," Thor said, "But both my brother and I require sleep. The transportation makes one grow tired. Where will we reside?"

"Mm, yeah, guest rooms, right." Stark turned to the table and fished a pen out of his pocket before scribbling down instructions. "This'll take you to your rooms. Appreciate it, I spent forever making the beds and putting out the little mints."

"I'm pretty sure Pepper did that," Banner said, and Wynn saw Rogers' lips twitch into a smile. Stark shushed him before giving Thor the piece of paper.

"Here. You can walk us to the elevator. After that, we're ditching you."

Thor took the paper and Stark headed for the door, crunching the fallen glass in the process. He muttered something about getting a robot to clean it later as they exited the lab, towards the elevator. Their ride up was, in a word, uncomfortable. Wynn was pressed between Loki, who looked none too happy to be touching her, and the hunk of muscle (also known as Thor). Stark didn't make it any better by whistling "I'm Sexy and I Know It", which no one else recognized but her. Still, considering she hated the song, she wanted to shove her boot up Stark's-

"We have arrived! Ladies first."

Stark smooshed into Banner to let Thor and Loki out onto their floor, somewhere in the middle of the tower. And as they left, something lit up in Wynn's brain, something very, very unpleasant.

"_I want you to shadow Loki."_

Crap, Fury's assignment! She threw Rogers to the side and dove out just as the elevator doors were closing. Stark yelled something obnoxious at her just as the doors shut, leaving her alone with the two Gods. Both Loki and Thor turned to look at her, and she gave them a sheepish smile.

"Um, sorry. I sort of…forgot to tell you guys something. Loki, I mean."

Loki raised an eyebrow at her, and Thor crossed his arms, eyes flickering between his brother and Wynn. His facial expression clearly said, _this should be good._

"Well, what is it?" Loki prodded, annoyed when she didn't say anything.

"Okay, I didn't tell you before, and I should have, but I didn't want to, you know, it sucks that – I don't…um."

She rubbed a hand down her face, sucked in a breath, and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Fury assigned me to shadow you. Keep you out of trouble. So wherever you go, I'll be following."

Wynn watched as his face morphed from annoyance into a gross mixture of horror and fury.

"That's madness!" he sputtered. "I won't have some mortal-hybrid trailing after me while I'm stuck on this miserable rock!" With a huff, he spun around, snatched the paper from a very surprised Thor, and stomped off. Wynn quickly ran after him, and when he heard her footsteps, he snapped back around.

"_Stay here," _he growled, and she threw up her hands in defense.

"No can do."

"I said, _stay, _you insipid fool! Are you daft?" he hollered, and Wynn puffed out her chest.

"Listen, I told you that this was my assignment. We don't have to hold hands and do each others' hair, all right? I don't want this, and obviously neither do you. But tough shit, I'm sorry."

Loki stared at her in silence for a moment before breathing hard out of his nose. She swallowed hard when he took a step towards her and pointed one long finger at her chest.

"If you so much as make a sound while I am attempting to sleep, I won't hesitate to end you right there," he hissed, and before she could respond, turned back around and stormed off again. She sighed heavily, and felt a hand come down gently on her shoulder. She looked up at Thor, who was staring at her with a pitying look.

"You're a brave one," he told her, and she scrubbed her face again.

"Brave or stupid. Either one."

With that, she patted his hand and went to follow Loki's retreating form down the hall.


	4. Made To Cut

**I can't stress how grateful I am for my reviewers, and those who are alerting and favoriting the story. Thank yooou; the reviews are so sweet. ;_; Anyway, on to the story. It's Loki time. 3**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

"Oh my God, he wasn't kidding about the little mints," Wynn said, holding up the brightly wrapped candy. She turned to Loki and offered it up. "It's yours, you want it?"

He wrinkled his nose at the candy and turned away, leaving Wynn's hand hanging in the air, dejected.

"I guess that's a no," she sighed, and unwrapped it so she could pop it in her mouth.

_Ugh, Stark would get the cheap, gross kind. _

She clacked the hard, chalky mint against her teeth and watched Loki stalk around the room, touching every surface as if assessing for booby traps. It certainly wasn't a ragged old motel room, that's for sure. The room and its accessories were stylish – marble coffee table, white contemporary couch, a bookcase painted a dark blue. If she had to bet money on it, she would guess Pepper came up with this one.

That lady was chic while Stark was…well, if Stark had dressed the room, there would be a lot of flames and chrome, and the cushy bed with its bamboo headboard would instead be a ridiculous waterbed with loud, neon sheets. Yes, she much preferred Pepper's thinking.

_Classy, _she thought. _I feel sort of under-dressed. Maybe I should have worn a tie._

"These are nice digs," she muttered aloud, and Loki turned away from the bookcase to stare at her. His brows furrowed.

"'Digs'?" he asked, clearly confused.

"Oh, it's slang for like, home and accessories. I just mean it's a really great room," she explained, slightly embarrassed. She had forgotten that he knew practically nothing about, what was it, "Midgard"? Human talk, anyway.

He shrugged, and said, "It will suffice," before swinging the book shut with a practiced snap of the wrist. Loki slid it quickly back into place and went to unbuckling one of the many compartments of his armor. It took a few seconds for her brain to catch up with her eyes, and as the sound of his shoulder piece detaching pierced the room, she almost went sprinting for the door.

"Uh, do you want me to hide in the corner? Or something?" Wynn asked, trying to keep her face from becoming noticeably hot. She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "There's a bathroom there too, you know. You can change in there."

He gave her a distinctly annoyed stare and said, "I'm simply taking my armor off. If I were to undress fully I would have gotten rid of you long ago."

"Well, I didn't know if you were some poster child for nudity! I was just checking," Wynn cried, and when he furrowed his brows again, she held up a hand and said, "You know what? Never mind. I'm just going to sit and read. You do whatever."

"Thank you for your most gracious permission," he mocked, and she rolled her eyes all the way over to the bookshelf. She pulled a random book from the shelf much harder than was necessary. A sudden anger bubbled up within her, and with it, a sense of desperation.

_How I am supposed to spend all of my time with him? We can't even get along for thirty seconds._

A hot bed of tears welled up beneath her eyelids, and she grit her teeth hard to keep them from spilling. The frustration suddenly made her task seem very unfair and unwise. He was a master of magic and trickery, and she was expected _to keep an eye on him? _A small bud of doubt for Fury's decision started to bloom before she squashed it.

_This is stupid, _she thought, and concentrated on the words lining the back of the book. _Get it together. Under all the metal and leather and black magic and murderous intent, he's just a guy. Other than being a God, he's a guy. I bet he can smell fear._

"May I remind you," Loki said from behind her, "that I am to sleep peacefully and _undisturbed."_

She gave an "mm-hmm" in response and a thumbs-up over her shoulder.

"You will look at me when I am speaking," he commanded, and she turned to face him. Without the copious amount of armor, she could see how slight he was compared to Thor, tall and stacked with lean muscle. His waist made a narrow 'V' that was almost feminine, and his face was the same, sharp and angular. Everything about him seemed made to cut.

She didn't buy it.

"Back on Asgard, you are a God," she said, slowly and precise, as if speaking to someone who didn't understand English, "But here, you are among mortals, and people who could easily beat you near death. The only way we'll all keep the peace is by realizing we're equal. I'll only respect you when you respect me."

Wynn studied his face, and the transition was strange. His annoyance slipped into a sort of surprise, a sort of _rawness_ before his mask molded back on. Loki's jaw flexed hard with anger and he seethed,

"I will never respect you. You think yourself so blessed, but you're nothing more than a little girl floundering for some sense of revere. Hold your tongue from its nonsense before I cut it out."

A swell of rage burned her chest, and when she spoke, she was surprised to find herself almost yelling. "You're nothing but a bully! You say I'm seeking admiration? That's a joke coming from you, who tried to take over the mortal race so he'd feel powerful."

Wynn threw the book over to the couch, keeping a careful eye on his hand, which had curled to make a fist. The tendons on his neck jutted with barely-concealed fury, and she took a step back. The evident signs of his upset instantly quelled her own anger, and she felt a desperate need to calm the situation.

_Ruh-roh._

"Now, I'm going to read my book, and you rest. This is over, it's done," she diffused, and kept moving until the backs of her knees hit the couch.

She plopped down and was instantly swallowed by the white cushions. It seemed almost comforting since she could feel the heat of his glare practically burning a hole through the top of her head. He didn't respond, but she heard the sheets of the bed being yanked back and the slight sounds of him climbing in; she let out an inaudible sigh of relief.

_I almost died because of my big mouth, _she thought wearily, and tried to focus on the book in her hands. The lines on the first page blurred, though, because her mind was actively working over his cruel words. She wondered, briefly, if there was any merit in what he had said. She entertained the thought for a moment before deciding that the answer probably wasn't one she really wanted to know. Instead, she tried to focus on deciphering his face when she had stood up to him.

The anger and annoyance were clearly a default for him, but what of the surprise in the middle? For a second, the slightest second, she thought she had seen a sort of vulnerability. The idea of it was ridiculous, but still, it nagged at her.

She stared at the back of his head, considering the way he had cocooned himself in the sheets. He slept on his side, tucked in a tight ball, facing away. Loki was no one-dimensional villain, that much was sure, and she was curious about his character; how she was supposed to crack him was a mystery. She only knew of his wrongdoings, but that couldn't possibly be the only story.

_Or I'm fooling myself. Maybe I'm trying to see good in him where it doesn't exist. _

Wynn mulled it over for a minute, before deciding that the theory didn't sit right. She had been taught that no one was born completely evil, but it is how they are raised. A perfect combination of nature and nurture.

Wynn watched Loki's sides rise and fall with his breath, wondering what the two forces had devised to be so cruel.

* * *

At the sound of a sharp pop, Wynn snapped to attention, having been fully engrossed in the chaotic scene that was raging within the book.

In the bed, Loki stretched, and another pop came from his body, this time from what sounded like his back.

"A little stiff?" Wynn said gently. She felt like she was trying to dangle food in front of a shark, and she could only think, _take the bait, take the bait, take it, take it, take-_

"A bit," he said, and sat up. Success: peace offering taken. At least he hadn't powered up an atomic blast or anything at the sound of her voice, and for that, she was extremely grateful.

"Well, it's almost dinner time. We can go try and find something to eat, if you want. Get the old bones moving."

He sniffed, threw back the sheets, and stood. "While I hardly believe that anything here will be to my taste, I do grow an appetite. And my bones are not _old." _

Wynn rolled her eyes at his back – it seemed she'd be doing that a lot with him – and sighed.

"It's a figure of speech, Loki," and when she spoke his name, his head rotated a bit in her direction before he headed for his discarded armor. Wynn waited patiently while he strapped it all back on, wondering why he felt the need to wear armor when he was just going to eat.

"Ready?" she asked when he clipped on the last shoulder piece.

"I suppose," he said, and opened the door, leaving her struggling to catch up. They did not walk together down the hall, but rather in a distant line, like she was a child trailing after her angered sibling. The elevator ride up to the top level wasn't any better, either.

Neither of them spoke, he from what she assumed was anger and distaste and she from nervousness. She never had been very good at making amends after an argument, so she was left with nothing to say. With him, it seemed she didn't even know where to start. Wynn wanted to learn about him, but she knew he'd make it impossible. His personality appeared to be just as guarded and armored as his body.

The little _ding _of the elevator broke her thoughts, and the doors slid open to reveal a rather intimidating scene.

"Damn," she heard Loki hiss, and she looked to him and back to the unconventional sight before them. It was going to be a long, long first evening in Stark tower.


	5. One Big Happy Family

**Hey guys, sorry for the shortness of this chapter. It's kind of a fill-in till the next one, which will have more Loki-Wynn time. Also, THANK YOOOU SO MUCH for all the story love. It's awesome.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

It was certainly an eclectic mix if she had ever seen one. It was amusing to her, but when she glanced up at Loki, he had such a look of absolute dread on his face that she almost felt bad for him. Almost.

"Hey, you're just in time! The booze is free-flowing," Stark yelled at them, waving an arm in the air like he was trying to direct a plane. And around the huge glass table was seated everyone currently residing in Stark tower, excluding any life-like machinery.

There was Pepper and Banner by Stark, Natasha and Clint whispering something to each other, and Captain America watching Thor eat what looked like half a chicken with some sort of amused revulsion. Her eyes fell upon the two open seats, smack dab in the middle of the action, which she assumed was intended for herself and Loki. Awesome.

"Just one big happy family," she muttered, and Loki glanced at her skeptically while she called to Stark,

"We're coming!"

She caught the elevator door with her forearm and stepped off, but Loki didn't budge.

"C'mon. It'll be over before you know it," Wynn assured him, but he only glared in response before saying, "I'm not that hungry that I will subject myself to…this."

Wynn pushed harder against the elevator door as it struggled to close, and she insisted, "Yeah, but I am! Please, let's just get this over with. You don't have to talk or be buddy-buddy with anyone. Hell, I'll keep them off your back for you, if Stark tries to be an ass like normal."

Loki stared at her like he was torn between kicking her in the face to make his escape and actually giving in. She gave him a small smile, with a little teeth showing and everything, which hurt that bit of pride deep down inside that ached to snatch him by his throat and hurl him off the elevator so she could eat.

"I promise," she finally said, which apparently sealed the deal. Loki stepped off the elevator and she let the door close with a sigh of relief. Shaking out her arm, she headed to the rest of them, Loki trailing behind. She could practically smell the reluctance coming off of him in waves.

She knew he had seriously pissed some people off, but the glares that they shot his way were lethal. He returned them with just as much heat, of course, but having majority of the room hate you had to be awful. A little bubble of pity started to inflate before she quickly popped it.

_Mass murderer. Evil villain. A total ass. Get it in line, _she reminded herself as she sat down. Loki lowered himself cautiously, as if preparing to snatch one of the knives off of the table and sprint.

"We were starting to get worried," Stark said as he slid her a drink, "You need to check in so that we know Reindeer Games hasn't killed you. It's Coke and rum."

Wynn sighed and took a sip of the drink – luckily heavy on the rum – and didn't even try to question the source of Stark's nickname for Loki.

"I'll think I'll be fine," she said, and Loki snorted. She looked at him from the corner of her eye and snapped, "What now?"

"The idea of you fending me off is somewhat amusing," he replied, glancing at her.

"It shouldn't be," Hawkeye spoke suddenly, not even looking up from the food he was busy cutting. "I'll vouch for her. Fury's training definitely hasn't gone to waste."

Wynn gave him a grateful look, which he never received since he was dead-set on mutilating his food. Loki just sniffed and didn't reply, obviously not believing him. And as much as Wynn wanted to _prove _that training, she didn't want to divide the already massive rift between them. Besides, she'd rather eat.

"Did you order shawarma?" Wynn asked, and Stark gave her a thumbs-up since his mouth was currently full to the brim.

"Huh, actually, I've never tried it," she said, to which Stark rolled his eyes. Apparently, it was worth it. She picked up one of the strange looking pockets from the serving platter and poked at it. It looked like a messier, more caloric taco. Not that she was complaining.

"Want one?" she offered to Loki, who was thoroughly examining his fork. He looked at the food with mild disgust but gingerly picked one up anyway. Dinner conversation was almost non-existent. Everyone was either busy eating or eyeing Loki suspiciously, and Wynn watched it all happen, allowing the little bubble of pity to re-inflate.

She wondered what it was like to have the whole room hate you at once, not that she particularly thought he cared. It was hard to keep in mind how crazy and murderous he had been when she hadn't actually witnessed it, having only seen it through recordings and heard second-hand by Barton and Stark.

Whatever happened once Thor had taken him back to Asgard, it calmed him down, or at least cleaned him up. His hair had been cut (as she recalled it being wild and unkempt from the footage) to a neat slick back and he didn't have such a frantic look in his eye. But he was still sharp as nails and about as malicious.

"Oh, Wynn," Natasha said, and she snapped to attention.

The woman delicately wiped her hands and said, "Fury wanted me to pass this along. Since we'll be staying here, he said you need to go gather your belongings, and to…what?"

She looked at Barton for help. Barton furrowed his brows, trying to recall the message.

"Um. To make sure it stayed the hell out of the lab and didn't pee anywhere."

_Oh my God. _

"Crap, crap! I forgot Nanook!" she half-shouted, standing and immediately dropping her food. "He's probably destroyed the couch pillows by now. I've gotta drive home."

She stared at Stark, who only groaned and told her, "Fine. But you're borrowing the worst car I own."

Banner interjected, "Which is a Mercedes, by the way."

Wynn smiled, and gave Stark thanks as he went to go get the keys. She looked down at Loki, who had given up on picking at the food.

"We're going on a joy ride," she told him, and he looked up at her with a mixture of disdain and curiosity.

"To your home, which I'm sure is…lovely?" he said, and she narrowed her eyes.

"It's quite lovely. Let's go."

He stood with a sigh as Stark handed her the keys.

"Bottom floor. I'll have Jarvis open the garage for you. And I'm not a dog person by the way. Or a cat person or a person-person. So just keep it away from me and away from any equipment and I won't use it for target practice."

Wynn snatched the keys and said, "Thanks. And if you lay a hand on my dog, I'll kill you."

As she walked to the elevator, Loki reluctantly beside her, she heard Stark yell,

"And if it pees in the car, I'll handcuff you two together!"


	6. Cooperative

**Okay, so this chapter definitely had it's fun parts. Aha, thanks for all of the reviews (by the way, I tried to address a certain review in this chapter!) and alerts and whatnot, it's so lovely and it makes me clap like a retarded seal. I believe this is the longest chapter? I hope to crank out another since it's a long weekend. **

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

The engine hummed quietly as Wynn sped down the street, grateful that the traffic wasn't heavy. It was late at night and she had taken the long way around to try and avoid any potential jams, not wanting to be confined in a small space with Loki longer than was needed.

He hadn't said a thing since they had left, choosing to lean his head against the glass and stare out of the window instead. Now that he wasn't destroying New York, he seemed rather fascinated with it. The lights of it were even brighter and more striking at night.

Wynn fiddled with the radio, wanting for something to do. It wasn't often that she drove, and when she did it wasn't with a passenger. So having someone in the car with her that refused to even talk was a bit unnerving. She supposed that she should be grateful that he was even cooperating – a fact that she still found incredible – but she found herself on edge, as if she were waiting.

The car smelled of him now, a sharp peppermint, and his presence was somehow heavy, bearing over her like a weight. Her trust in his character was nonexistent, though she found herself aching to believe he wasn't the same man (God?) that had tried to rule the human race and ground New York to rubble.

"So why are you being so cooperative?" she asked, and the words surprised even her.

She hadn't meant to say them aloud. It came as a surprise when he laughed, though the sound of it was hollow. She glanced at him, but he still leaned against the door, not looking at her.

"What else would you have me do?" he said, and even though she knew it was a rhetorical question, she replied, "What do you mean? You can do anything. Technically."

This actually roused a momentary look from him before he shifted his eyes back ahead. He was silent for a long moment, and just as she thought he would not reply, he did.

"I could kill you," he said, almost to himself. Her fists clenched on the steering wheel, so hard the knuckles lost blood, and a quick shudder, fleeting and cold, ran up the length of her spine.

"But," he continued, indifferent to her reaction, "It seems rather pointless. The human race holds no interest for me now, and even if it did, I could hardly breathe a threat before my brother would have me chained again."

"Why would he…never mind, I think I know," Wynn said, and took a beat before asking, "What was it like? Going back to Asgard, I mean, after the whole... trying to rule the human race thing."

From the corner of her eye, she could see his jaw flex hard as he grit his teeth. Apparently she had just found a conversation territory line.

"Not pleasant," he ground out, and nothing more after that. The air was heavy with her own unspoken questions, but she knew that she'd get nothing from him. He was as guarded as a full-scale prison wall with electric wiring. But Wynn had her fair share of practice with steering conversation into safe zones to try to ease tension. Her mother's rages had often left her scrambling for some sort of diffusion.

_Get your dork on, Wynn. Remember, no shame. _With a deep breath, she darted her eyes around the car and said, casually as could be, "I spy with my little eye something…red."

Loki glanced at her. "I'm sorry?"

"I spied something red. Try and guess."

"What are you speaking of?"

"It's a hum- I mean a Midgardian game. You find something, say the color, and the other person tries to guess what it is."

Loki slowly uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on his knees. The look he gave her was a mix of amusement and disgust.

"You are truly attempting to ploy me with the games of a child," he said, but his tone was not malicious. Wynn gave him a quick half-smile before turning back to the road.

"It's either this or I turn the radio on full blast and serenade you. And my singing voice is atrocious, by the way."

"Mm, I gather it is," he mused. Before she had time to get offended, he said, "The strange lever inside the glass."

_The speedometer? Oh, well dammit, he's right._

"You cheated," she accused, but he just smirked at her, seemingly amused by her sore loss.

"Remember who you're conversing with. And I didn't 'cheat'."

Wynn rolled her eyes and sighed. "Whatever. Your turn."

For a second, she didn't think he play along, but surprisingly enough, he did. She wondered how surreal it must be for him, a God fallen from grace, stuck in a car with a human girl playing I Spy. Maybe he was just planning to commit suicide later and was humoring her. She'd keep a close eye.

"Blue."

Wynn craned her neck around, searching for the color.

"Clock numbers?"

"No."

"Car paint?"

"No."

Several thousand tries later, most of which he claimed were not actually _blue_ but some variant shade of it, she threw her hands in the air before slamming them back on the wheel as they started to veer left.

"Jesus, I give up! What is it?"

Loki raised a brow at her, and casually pointed a finger at her hand.

"The bit of color. There, on your thumb."

She squinted at her thumb in the dark, before holding it up to the glow of the clock. The small chip of nail polish she had left on her nail sat staring back at her.

"You've got to be kidding me. That's not fair, I can't even see that."

"I never _saw_ a set of rules," he scoffed, and Wynn shot him a fleeting look of surprise. Was he _joking_ with her?

"True," she grumbled. "Anyway, we're nearly there...thankfully. In about a minute."

Loki leaned her forehead to the glass, observing the quiet street. Her flat was in the old market district, away from the busiest parts of the city.

She pulled up on the side of the street and turned the car off. The engine slowly died down, and the silence was deafening.

"Ah, well, here we are," she said awkwardly, "It's not much, but it'll do."

She popped the door and climbed out, and from his side she heard the same. She fumbled with her keys as she climbed the concrete steps to the front door. She heard the clunk of Loki's boots stop behind her, and she immediately realized that he should be in her line of sight. She shifted slightly to the side so he was in her peripheral.

"Almost got it…I have too many keys, man-"

"Hey, Randall!" Wynn and Loki both looked down the steps for the source of the voice. At the bottom of the steps, her neighbor Seth stood looking up at the pair, hands tucked inside his sweatshirt pockets. She saw his gaze falter when he took in Loki, in all his leather and metal and I'll-kill-you glare glory.

"Hey, Seth. Shouldn't you be asleep?" she asked quickly, trying to rid of him. Even with Loki being cooperative, he was still the God of _mischief_. Who knows what he could do to the poor kid if he got annoyed.

"Oh, you know," the boy said, "It's the usual."

Wynn noticed that the bags under his eyes had gotten worse. The only reason she knew the kid was because he was an insomniac, always wandering the neighborhood when he couldn't sleep, which was most of the time.

"Well, try a few more blocks and lie down," she advised as she stabbed the key in the doorknob and cranked the lock. She shoved the door open and waved at him.

"Night, Seth," she called, and he waved weakly, glancing between her and Loki, obviously uneasy. She shut the door with a sigh of relief, glad that the moment was over. Turning, she stepped into the darkness of the corridor, bumping blindly into Loki's shoulder. He barely budged, but the impact sent her stumbling back.

"Sorry," she muttered, hand sliding against the wall clumsily for the light switch. Her fingers brushed it and she flipped the lights on, the bulbs illuminating with a pop. The house was quiet, and she glanced at Loki, who was staring at her with a bored expression.

_Just you wait a second. That'll change._

"Nanook!" she yelled loudly, efficiently giving Loki a good start, "I'm home, you slob!"

_Three…two…and…_

What sounded like a herd of cattle with sharp toenails suddenly thundered down the stairs, and Nanook came racing around the corner of the living room, heading straight for her like a bullet. Wynn held out her arms and the dog braced his paws hard into her chest, slobbering on her face. Wynn embraced him, clutching his scruff roughly and scrubbing his ear.

She heard Loki make some noise of revulsion behind her, obviously not impressed. Which was unfortunate, since Nanook launched himself at the God next, leaping up to get a sniff at him. The poor mutt was midair when Loki caught him in the chest and gave him a hard shove, sending him to the ground with a yelp.

"Hey!" Wynn yelled, catching a retreating Nanook by the collar. "What the hell is your problem? He was just saying hello!"

"The beast wasn't greeting me, he was lunging for my face," Loki snarled, his nose wrinkled in distaste. Wynn stared at him and patted the Saint Bernard, who was currently hiding behind her legs with his tail tucked in fear.

"He wasn't _lunging; _he was jumping up to sniff you. He just gets excited. Don't you have dogs in Asgard?"

"No," Loki said simply, and Wynn rolled her eyes. She gave Nanook a comforting pet on the head and held her tongue from sending any nastiness Loki's way.

"Whatever. I'm going to go pack my suitcase. You can sit in the living room," she grumbled, and pulled Nanook along, who seemed all too happy to be glued to her legs. She took a few steps before she realized that Loki wasn't following. Instead, he was busy studying the photographs that lined the entry-way wall.

"Photographs. I suppose you don't have those either."

He glanced at her before setting his gaze back on the picture of her on the day of her high school graduation. Wynn felt her cheeks redden a bit; the photo was ridiculous – she and her cousin were stuck cheek-to-cheek, pulling faces at the camera.

_He can think what he wants, _she thought (sounding almost convincing to herself) and turned away, leaving him to study the photos. She tromped upstairs, Nanook at her heels, and entered her bedroom. Nanook hopped onto her bed and watched as she yanked her only suitcase from the closet and threw it open on the ground.

"Okay, jeans first. Then shirts, then sweatshirts. Oh, wait, underwear. That's first. Panties before pants, almost forgot my rule," she reminded herself (or Nanook, if that counted). She began flinging clothes in, not even bothering to fold them.

"You're hardly neat," she heard Loki say from the doorway, and she straightened up from her suitcase, bra clutched in her hand. She hadn't even heard him come up the steps! There was a beat of awkward silence as both sets of eyes fell to stare at the bright green bra.

"Um…" she looked at the lacey garment, and quickly threw it down with a grunt and shoved a sweatshirt over it. "Yeah, well, I'll fold them nicely when I unpack."

He snorted, and surveyed her room with his cool blue gaze. Wynn wanted to slam the door in his face – the way he was scrutinizing all of her belongings gave her the willies.

He moved into the room slowly, boots making the wooden floorboards protest shrilly. Wynn kept an eye on him as she continued pulling clothing out of her closet; he lightly touched the surface of everything, a habit he seemed to have of new surroundings.

His fingertips grazed the wooden dresser, the glass bird figurine her father had given her, the surface of the vanity mirror. He stopped at the photograph of her father, framed in its old, tarnished silver frame. He reached to touch its surface, and she surprised herself when she harshly commanded, "Don't touch it."

He looked over his shoulder at her, mid-fold with a hoodie in her arms. Loki narrowed his eyes, obviously not pleased with her tone. Wynn tossed the article down and bent to zip up the bulging suitcase. Not looking at him, she said, "Just don't, please. It's one of the only pictures I have of my dad."

Loki turned back to stare at the picture.

"I assume him dead, then," he said.

His tone was not overly kind, but it certainly wasn't cruel or indifferent. Just contemplative. The sudden swell of tears shocked her, but she went on, throwing her personal hygiene products into a small duffel bag.

"Yeah," she replied, almost inaudibly, "He's dead. Since I was 12."

Wynn looked at the picture, her father smiling brightly at the camera with her smaller self propped on his shoulders, the ocean roaring in the background. Their hair, blindingly white, contrasted with the tan of their skins. She remembered that trip to Florida, how he constantly took her to the beach to hunt for seashells.

Looking up hard to smash the oncoming tears, she cleared her throat and said, "Let me just go gather the things from the bathroom and we'll be done here." He didn't respond, so she went, Nanook slinking behind her so that he was not left alone with Loki.

Wynn stuffed her shower products and toothbrush in the bag before zipping up. She took a second to study her reflection in the mirror. Relatively normal, save for a smudge of mascara under her eyelid. She scrubbed it away, blinked, and switched the light off.

She went back into her room and heaved the suitcase under her arm. Loki followed a few paces back as she tromped her way down the steps. Wynn gracelessly threw the bags down by the hallway and yanked Nanook's leash from its place on the wall hook. She jingled it, and the reaction of a thumping tail was automatic.

"Hey," she said as she hooked the dog up, "You wanna take him out? He doesn't pull." Loki curled back his top lip, and went to deny her before she threw in, "It's him or the bags. And if you take my suitcase, you'll look like a servant boy."

With that, Loki snatched the leash from her hand and proceeded to drag Nanook to the door.

"Loki, he'll _walk_," Wynn snapped as she picked up her bags, and Loki sent her a glare that could set a tree on fire. Wynn just grimaced and followed them out, locking the door soundly behind her.

"Let's just get back to Stark's place," she said wearily, "I'm tired as- _oh my God!" _

Her sudden holler sent Nanook scrambling down the steps, Loki being yanked behind. The dog almost trampled the figure that lay at the bottom of her steps, seemingly dead.

"Oh my God, oh my God, Seth!" She sent the bags flying to the sidewalk and leaned down to him. Rolling him over, she assessed the huge bruise developing on his face.

"Did he just pass out?" she cried, looking at Loki as if he could answer her. But the God simply studied his cuticles, leash gripped loosely in the other hand. It took just a few seconds for something to click in her brain.

"You didn't," she breathed, disbelieving.

He shrugged, one side of his mouth quirking up in a smile. "The fool had trouble sleeping. I assisted him, out of the kindness of my heart, I assure you." The other side of his mouth lifted, so his lips formed a full-blown smirk. "Just a bit of fun."


	7. Motives

**Oh my goodness, seven chapters already. There's lots of raging Loki in this one, but we finally get some back story for him. Hm, yes. Also, more characters next chapter. Thank you guys so much for all of the feedback once again!**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest if Marvel's.**

* * *

Wynn held her foot against the gas pedal dangerously hard, rage and betrayal working through her like a poison. Loki studied his nails over in the passenger seat, seemingly without a care in the world. But the air was so heavy with tension it almost suffocated her.

After she had dragged Seth up the steps to his house and propped him against the door, Loki watching her with a smirk, she had started yelling. Very colorful words, in fact, that he returned with fervor. Her reaction was not surprising at all, considering Loki had just done about half of what he wasn't supposed to do.

Between "you're an asshole" and the responded "you're a wretched, irritating quim", a light across the street had flicked on. Before the cops could get called, she had shoved Nanook in the backseat and proceeded to move the car before Loki had even shut his door all the way.

The only explanation Wynn could find was that Fury had lied. He had told her that Thor admitted to Odin blocking Loki's magic from him. But what he used had most definitely been magic, no matter how slight. The thought of it made her grip the wheel so tight she thought her bones might crack.

"You're not supposed to have your powers," she ground out, eyes firmly on the road. The lights of the city sped by at a dizzying pace, blurring to one bright spot in her peripheral. Loki scoffed, as if chiding her.

"Magic is second-nature to me," he said coolly, as if bragging. "There are aspects of it that are nearly habit to my person and even Odin cannot erase them."

Those words, decidedly smug, rang in her head as she pulled up to Stark tower. The car was scanned for identification before the wide metal door of the ground floor pulled up.

"Okay, but you're not supposed to _use _them! And on innocent kid, nonetheless! What were you thinking?" she snapped, parking sloppily next to Stark's prized Ferrari. Suddenly, Loki slammed his forearm down on the dashboard, his metal cuffs loud as a shotgun, and the violence of it made her recoil. Somewhere in the back, Nanook whined in fear.

"I do what I want, girl," he snarled. "You are under a foolish pretense that you are safe from me, that I cannot unravel whomever I choose. What did you expect? For us to become friends, to sit back and watch my brute of a brother and his idiotic friends save the mortals from whatever threat passes by?"

"Shut up," Wynn said lowly, and though the words were soft, they sounded very loud in the tight atmosphere of the car. Loki, who had twisted in his seat to face her, leaned forward, his face approaching hers. The automatic lights on the ceiling had come on, so she could see the threat in his eyes, the mocking. He was _amused_. Wynn pressed her back into the car door, away from him.

"Is that what you thought, Miss Randall?" he crooned, a bit of white teeth glowing as he smiled at her. The smile seemed private and comforting, as though they were having a heartfelt conversation. But his eyes spoke volumes – he meant to hurt her.

"That we would be _friends?_ That I would look at S.H.I.E.L.D's little subordinate as something more than expendable and irritating? That having a dead father and accidental immortality would make me see you as anything more than pathetic? It's a grand joke," he spat. The words hit her like shrapnel, and for a moment the only thing they could do was stare at one another.

Loki leaned back, smile gone, eyes cool.

Wynn dug her fingernails into her palms so hard that she could feel a bit of warm blood ooze out.

"I hate you," she all but whispered, and then the smile was back.

"You say that as if it matters," he said, turning away from her to open the door. He climbed out and began walking, not even bothering to shut the door behind him.

Wynn watched him go, eyes wet more from shock than anything else. Her mouth tasted sour and dry, as though it had absorbed the cruelty and absolute truth from his words.

She moved through the motions numbly, gathering Nanook and her bags, shutting the door Loki had left hanging open, and shuffling to the elevator. But as she rode up the elevator, her numbness gradually morphed back into anger, increasing at every floor. How _dare _he?

He acted like he still had power, that he was still the villain everyone feared. He was no more than a bitter prince, put-out by the fact that he had failed in his endeavors. The elevator doors swooped open, and she stomped out, Nanook trotting behind her. She threw the bags crudely into her personal room, slammed the door, and went searching for Thor.

* * *

The God was bent over the glass table, working under a study light. He scribbled furiously on a piece of paper, the pen all but disappearing in his bear-like grip.

"Hey Thor," she called, and he looked up, brow still furrowed in concentration. It gradually eased out as he smiled at her.

"Lady Wynn! You've returned," there was a pause, before he asked, "Where is my brother?"

Wynn shrugged, not caring one bit. Her anger still snapped about like some sort of creature, a combination of his actions and speech. The words were fresh and sore in her mind.

"Asleep, or pouting, either one. He's in his room. I checked."

And she had checked – she had opened the door of his room to see him sitting on the bed, concentrating on a book. As soon as he looked up, she had slammed the door hard enough to make the frame vibrate. Childish, maybe, but completely satisfying.

"Pouting! That sounds like Loki," Thor said, bending down to pat Nanook on his head. When he wasn't shoved away, the dog propped his head on Thor's massive knee in delight. "This creature is curiously friendly. What do you call it?"

"That's Nanook. He's a Saint Bernard…that's the type of dog. There's literally thousands of breeds," she replied, sitting down across from him at the table.

Thor scrubbed the dog's ear and picked his pen back up from where he had dropped it.

"I'm working on writing up old folk tales for Jane. She's coming next week, you know." The smile that unconsciously lifted Thor's lips when he talked about the woman was endearing, and Wynn felt almost jealous. She had met Jane Foster a couple of times, and the girl was a princess, perfect for Thor. It was like some cracked Disney movie – and she had gotten stuck with the villain.

"So, Thor," she started casually, "I was wondering if you'd tell me a little bit about Loki."

_Scratch that._

"Actually, tell me everything that you know. I need to know what makes him tick."

Thor gave her a confused look before a wave of understanding swept across his features.

"My brother is…angry. He has given up his quest to rule any race, or destroy it, but no resentment has left him. Did he give you trouble?"

Wynn watched Thor fold one hand under his chin, eyebrows creasing again. Apparently, the fact that Loki was so pissed and wrecked made Thor upset because he truly cared for his brother, and she wondered why Loki couldn't _see_ that. Was he really that deluded?

"Ah, no...well, maybe a little. But why is he so mad, Thor? You love him, I can tell, so why?" she asked, and Thor nodded slightly at the words.

"I do love my brother, but there lies the problem. He is not my brother, not by blood. Loki was taken by my father from a temple during a time of war with the Jotunn, the frost giants that reside in Jotenheimr. Laufey is his true father, their past king, and he abandoned Loki for being a runt. My father thought to use Loki as a future binding between our kingdoms for eternal peace."

Wynn stared at the table, and there it was. That small bubble of pity welled up inside of her, full to burst, pushing her anger aside. She hated him for his words, using his magic on Seth, but there was an understanding there. He was hurt.

"So Laufey left him, and your father took him. You mean to say he's actually a _frost giant_?" she reviewed, making sure her facts were straight. When Thor nodded, she said, "So he has daddy issues. Sad, but that isn't enough motive to justify the level of damage."

"Loki, he…in Asgard, brawn and strength are favored for war. They are seen as the highest qualities," Thor said.

"And Loki has none of that?"

Thor leaned back in his chair, and the wood squeaked dangerously under his weight. "Loki is a talented warrior, but he is cautious. He does not throw himself to battle. The people of Asgard see him as weak."

"Because he chooses to use magic instead?" Wynn guessed, and Thor nodded again. _That, and I'm sure anyone would look weak compared to their monster brother, _she thought dryly. There was no doubt Loki was slight, all lean muscle and angles. She could imagine how he appeared next to a raging Thor on the battlefield.

"My father…" Thor began, and then stopped abruptly. The words seemed to struggle on his tongue. "Loki believes that our father favored me, that Odin never thought him good enough. He always sought my father's approval, and when he tried to obliterate the Jotunn to appear a hero, it bit him. His lies and trickery served only to disappoint my father. He abandoned Asgard the same day I destroyed the Bifrost."

The God's words swirled around in her brain for a minute before she held out her hands. "Wait, Loki tried to kill an entire race? To win his adoptive father's approval?"

When Thor gave her a look of agreement, she sat back.

_How desperate was this boy that he would murder an entire race? _After that thought, it occurred to Wynn that Loki's sense of being an outcast, the lowest on the pole, went far beyond what Thor recognized. He did not see it because he was the golden child and never had to worry about such a thing.

Wynn crossed her arms and said, "So he got thrown out into space and came to Earth to rule us because he wanted to be king, to be favored?"

When Thor said nothing, she got her answer.

"He wanted recognition. Granted, it was the completely wrong way to do it, but I understand what he was trying to get at," she concluded. The God stared at her for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but looked down to pet Nanook instead. There were a few beats of silence when he spoke up.

"Loki is my brother, and there is no doubt I love him. No matter what he does, I can't stop loving him. I do not excuse his actions, and I admit that I hardly understand him, but…"

"I know," Wynn said, softly. For a second, she considered telling Thor that Loki was able to use some forms of his magic, but she didn't want to ruin the small amount of peace that Thor held. Loki wasn't able to use much magic, only the basics, so what harm could be done? At least, this is what she convinced herself of.

Thor cleared his throat and scribbled something down before looking up at her.

"Would you like to hear the story of our creation?" he asked. The attempt to change the subject was not at all disguised, and she appreciated that.

"Sure. Just let me raid Stark's refrigerator first and we'll get to it."

* * *

The week passed quickly, despite Wynn's fear that it would drag along painfully. Her days followed the same pattern, but were remotely different. She would get up and shower before heading to Loki's room. They would walk to get food in silence, and then the rest of the day was spent in silence as well. The few words that were uttered were either questions on what he preferred to eat that day, or to explain something Midgardian to him.

Wynn wrote and reviewed reports Fury sent her, sitting on the couch in Loki's room while said God read or watched TV. After she had taught him how to work it (in very few words, she might add) he latched on quickly. The guy was smart, no doubt about it. He liked the crime shows, but would switch the TV off with a sound of disgust if he accidently landed on a reality program. Wynn observed it all over the brim of her laptop, trying not to laugh at his own personal dramatics.

It wasn't tough being angry with him, at first. Even with his back story, she couldn't forget how harsh he had been or what he had done, defying Fury and his brother's orders. He knew he wasn't supposed to mess with humans, but had done it anyway. To a person she knew and actually liked, for that matter.

But she had pity for him, and understood what he must feel, in her own way. Life in her household had gone none too smoothly. She had no siblings to be eclipsed by, but knew what it felt to be belittled, to feel small and alone. Wynn considered sharing, but figured that it would just annoy him, if he even listened or cared at all. Besides, not many people particularly enjoy talking about their demons. And Loki seemed to have several.

It was on Friday, the day before Jane and her crew were set to visit, when she broke their odd, stuttered argument. Normally she'd leave his room around 7 and head back to hers or seek out someone to hang around. But this time she stayed on the couch, staring at her laptop like it was something important, when instead she had pulled up the TV schedule for their area.

"You know," she said, not looking in his direction, "my dad got me watching horror movies when I was really little. The guy was a fanatic. There's an airing of "Night of the Living Dead" on tonight. Starts in about five minutes."

Wynn glanced at him to see him still sitting cross-legged on his bed, book open in his lap. He wasn't looking at her, but she could tell he was listening.

"It's a classic. You probably won't think it's scary, more stupid than anything, but it's entertaining. We could watch it. If you want."

Slowly, so slowly it seemed calculated, he shut the book.

"It sounds awful," he said, but threw the book to the side and stood up anyway. Their eyes met for a moment before she grinned.

"It is awful. But I love it."

She patted the cushion next to her, and while he sat as far away from her as humanly possibly, it was progress. At least he didn't flip the table in her face. Wynn switched the TV onto the appropriate channel and they settled in, some sort of weird relief hanging between them. A truce had been reached.

About halfway through the movie, after the gas pump exploded and the zombies wandered around chewing on body parts, Loki let out a laugh. It was sudden and short, almost a bark, but it was a laugh. She looked at him and smiled.

"It's from the 60's, give it a break."

"I admit the effort is there. Somewhat."

"Yeah, but wait till I show you "Dawn of the Dead". The graphics are crazy good."

Loki's gaze lingered on her for just a second longer before he returned his attention back to the screen, and Wynn realized what she had done. She had implied that there would be a next time, that they would be friendly from now on. He didn't approve, but he didn't deny either, and Wynn felt a small thrill of joy at this improvement.

She wondered then if he was as lonely as she believed him to be, if he was as lonely as she often was. The last of whatever anger she had managed to hold on to dissipated when she realized the answer was probably "yes".


	8. Casual Excuses

**I can't believe I managed to crank out another chapter, whoo. This one went a totally different direction than I had intended, but I'm kind of glad it did. You get some action and bloody Loki. Yeeeah.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

The sound of a distinct roar tore her into consciousness and she was on her feet so fast she almost tipped over. She was still in Loki's room, neck dull and sore from falling asleep on the couch. Sometime into the third movie, she must have fallen asleep and left Loki to himself. The God was nowhere in the room, and a curse screamed in her brain as she rocketed for the door.

She kicked over the table as she went, and snatched the machete she had taped to its underside. It had been a struggle to stash it without Loki noticing, but she had managed. Another roar rang though the tower, coming from below her. Her cell phone went off at exactly the same moment, and she fumbled it from her pocket. It was a simple text from Natasha:

_**Ground floor. Now.**_

_Oh my God, Banner, _she thought, bypassing the elevator, choosing to take the stairs instead. Wynn ran down at a full sprint, making it only half-way down each staircase before jumping to the next platform. Only the sound of clanging metal and her own ragged breathing filled the silent corridor.

She tried steeling herself for what she'd face once she arrived on the ground floor. She threw open the door, and a surprised grunt came from the other side. There was Loki, looking just as disgruntled as herself, but much worse physically. Her eyes quickly scanned his body, and he – well, he looked like shit.

A huge gash had opened on his temple, and the blood gushed down so quickly it looked like a river on his face. A large blood stain bloomed near his ribs, marring the simple green shirt he had on. The laces at the collar had been ripped out, as if he had been snatched at near the throat. A huge bruise bloomed along his collarbone, and Wynn knew that was no small feat – something with a ton of strength must have hit him. Something a lot like the Hulk.

"What the hell happened to you?" she yelled, then, "Where's Banner?"

He opened his mouth, but then shut it again, and a blank look overcame his features. He took one step towards her, paused, and then became a blur of movement. Wynn didn't have time to wonder what was happening as Loki slammed her against the wall, so hard she saw a bright white spot at the corner of her vision.

Her fingers immediately tried to grip the hilt of her machete, but she found it wasn't even in her hand anymore. Loki's other hand had a vice-like grip on her wrist, causing her fingers to open and therefore, release. The weapon lay somewhere near her feet, abandoned.

So she did the next best thing – she snaked her free arm in-between their bodies and snatched him by the white column of his throat, preparing to crush his windpipe. Suddenly they were a flurry of hands, with her trying to choke him out and Loki simultaneously warding off her grip and pressing her to the wall.

And then, he disappeared – just like that, a small glimmer in his eyes, and he was gone. But she could still feel his throat beneath her hands, and the pressure of his fist pushing into her chest. Wynn's throat dried as she realized that her hands, too, had disappeared and the sensation of _not being there_ made her nauseous. She was fully in her body, but she could not _see _her body.

Her knees buckled just as the corner of the hallway exploded into plaster and rubble. Two things were apparent as her senses narrowed – the Hulk storming down the hallway, the tops of his shoulders scraping the ceiling, grunting in anger for something to smash but not seeing them at all. And then there was Loki's breath, chilling in her ear as his weight pressed into her, one hand still firmly on her wrist and the other pressed awkwardly against her breast bones.

The Hulk brushed by them, and she spied the tranquilizer sticking from his back. He was slowing down, huge calves wobbling, but he managed to make it to the opposite side of the hallway and turn, heading in the general direction of Stark's lab. Just as time had slowed, it warped back into normality and she shoved Loki, hard.

His presence stumbled back, and flickered into visibility. Wynn braced her hands on her now-apparent knees, and breathed heavily.

"Next time," she wheezed, "Please just tell me if you're going to make us invisible."

She looked up to see Loki lilting to the side, one hand clutched to his head. But his eyes were narrowed in her direction, obviously annoyed. She wondered how he managed to look so threatening and pissed off even when he was about to pass out.

Her phone rang shrilly from her pocket, and she pressed it to her ear.

"Banner has a tranquilizer in him. We'll get him back to his room. Go find Loki and assess the damage," Natasha said, passing any formalities.

"Found him," Wynn said, glancing at the god. "What happened down there?"

"Details later," her voice said impatiently, and then the dial tone sounded; Wynn glared at the cellphone and shoved it back in her pocket with a huff. _Bye to you, too._

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up. They tranquilized him, so there's not much I can do." Wynn bent to pick up her machete, and held out one hand to him. He stared at it like it was a dirty Kleenex, and Wynn rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please."

"I'm quite capable of assisting myself," Loki said, and brushed past her, back into the stair corridor. Wynn turned and followed him with a sigh, thinking that the day was going just fabulously. She stared at his back as they moved slowly up the stairs. His right knee kept locking up, so he paused frequently to bend it out.

"You know, this'd go a lot faster if you just let me _help," _Wynn complained, and Loki stopped.

"I'm loathe to ask you for any assistance," he said, hand gripping harder on the railing.

"Well, you didn't ask, I'm insisting. We'll agree to that."

She jogged up the few stairs to his side and took him by the forearm, gently, as if dealing with a creature that might bite. She slid his arm over her shoulders and he locked his jaw; she heard something in his shoulder creak with the motion.

"It looks like you got into a fight with a wrecking ball," Wynn said tightly as she bared his weight. He leaned into her heavily and they started moving up the stairs again, but at a better pace than before.

"I seem to make a habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," Loki admitted, voice strained.

"Were you wandering around?" Wynn asked, not really caring that he had left. Either way, she had been asleep, and wouldn't have known the difference.

"That room grows tiresome," he grumbled, which she took to mean "yes".

"I understand. So what happened?"

He stumbled then, and she said, "You know what, never mind. Tell me later."

He nodded, and she noticed that his skin was a pasty white, and slicked with a thin sheen of sweat. Wynn hadn't noticed that he'd lost so much blood, but the head wound coupled with whatever other gash on his torso was draining him quickly. She tried to get him to move faster, but the pace had to stay sluggish.

When she pulled him forward, his jaw flexed with pain. She felt a touch of admiration for his self-control, and then guilt flooded in. She shouldn't try to rush him if it was painful.

It seemed like hours had passed when they finally arrived to their floor, and Wynn got him to the bathroom as quickly as she could. Loki sank down on the edge of the bathtub, and Wynn prayed he didn't fall in – the thing was huge. She searched through the many drawers of the sink cabinet, looking for a wash rag. When she found one, she doused it in cold water, hoping that it would clot the blood.

She turned back around to find Loki struggling with his shirt; one side of it was off, but the other was stuck on his arm. Something in his shoulder was definitely misplaced, seeing as how he couldn't raise his arm. Wynn pulled the shirt over his head and down his arm so he wouldn't have to try and force his bum arm in the air.

She quickly evaluated the damage, and was relieved to see that no bones were broken. Only what looked like a laceration on his ribs. A few bits of glass glimmered at the edge of the wound, and she winced.

"Here, press this to your head. I need to find tweezers."

She handed him the dripping washcloth and he did so, face carefully neutral. Back to the drawers – the tweezers were much easier to find, thankfully, and she found a First Aid kit along with them. Wynn snapped the tweezers a few times, and Loki seemed a bit worried at that, so Wynn smiled. As if that would make him feel better.

"Trust me," she muttered, kneeling in front of him. Wynn gently starting pulling out glass, attempting to keep her mind blank so that she could focus.

_Don't stare at his abs, don't stare at his abs, _she chanted to herself. His skin was chilly, and smooth as a plane of marble. Even disguised, he couldn't completely mask that he was of Jotunn descent, and Wynn wondered if that bothered him. She didn't ask, though. Safe territory.

"So what did happen?" she asked, if not just to distract him.

He hummed for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and said, "I'm not aware of what occurred before I arrived, but there was more than a bit of yelling. A lover's spat between the doctor and Tony Stark, I believe." Wynn snorted at that, and Loki gave a small, wry smile.

"So you showed up, and…?"

"As I said, wrong time and wrong place. The beast sought to attack me first."

"What did he do? Smash you into the floor again?"

Loki glared down at her, and Wynn shrugged. "Sorry, Stark told me that story the first time I met him."

"He's despicable. I was caught off-guard."

"_Anyway…" _Wynn prompted, and Loki stared at the ceiling. He absently wiped a bit of blood from his face, and said,

"He threw me into one of Stark's vehicles. Quite hard, I might add. My only satisfaction comes from knowing my person destroyed it beyond repair."

Wynn stopped tweezing and gaped up at him.

"You totaled Stark's car? With your body?"

Loki gave her a wary look, and suddenly Wynn was laughing so hard she thought she might choke. She accidently bumped her forehead against his knee, and somehow that was funny too. Loki shifted away from her, apparently offended at her amusement.

"Sorry," she gasped. "Sorry, sorry. It's just, that's pretty badass. It's a compliment, really. You're tough as nails, dude." She stared at him pointedly and tried to control her grin, but it wouldn't wipe off.

Loki searched her face, looking for any trace of mockery, but found none. When he realized that she was not laughing at him but at the situation, he raised a brow. Wynn saw the smallest ghost of a smile on his lips, and if _that _wasn't something, she didn't know what was.

"Let me bandage this," she told him, and opened the First Aid kit to find a large bandage. As she unwrapped it, he prodded at the gash gently.

"Not necessary," he said. "It will heal before long."

Wynn stared at the angry wound, and raised her brows in doubt. "Well…if you're sure. But the cut on your head, though, that will definitely need something."

Loki waved his hand, as if brushing away her words.

"A surface wound."

"But you lost a lot of blood."

He touched the cut, and looked frustrated. "If I had access to my magic, I would be able to take care of this now. Healing requires much more than smoke and mirrors."

"And making yourself invisible isn't smoke and mirrors?" she asked, and he looked as though he may say something, but nothing came out. Wynn stood and brushed non-existent dust from her pants.

Clearing her throat awkwardly, she said, "I never did thank you for helping me out. Even if it was a bit unconventional, it sure as hell worked. So, thanks."

"No more than a trick. I would not have had your blood on my hands so that I may be blamed," he dismissed, but there was no malice in his words. If anything, it sounded like he was making a casual excuse.

"I know," Wynn said anyway, swallowing his justification. "Anyway, the cuts will heal, if you say so. What about your shoulder? I think you screwed it up pretty badly."

"It may be a tad bit dislocated," he said, and attempted to rotate the joint. When it didn't budge, he winced.

"Or a lot. Here, let me…"

She reached for his arm and took a hold of his bicep. She felt the muscle tighten under her touch, either in discomfort at her touch or preparation for what she was about to do.

Since she figured a countdown would be pointless, she rotated the arm harshly, and felt a small _pop _somewhere in his bones. The tendons in his neck jutted from the pain, but his lips remained locked.

"That's it," she assured him, and he lifted the arm experimentally. When it didn't protest, he put it back to his side and stood. There was no weakness in his legs, so she assumed he was healing.

"Feel better?" she asked, handing him his ragged shirt. "Um, you might need to change your clothes."

"I gathered that," he replied dryly. "And you as well."

Wynn looked down and saw that her shirt was stained from his blood, probably from the trip upstairs.

"Huh," she said.

There was a beat of silence when her phone beeped, and she rolled her eyes, knowing who it would be. But, surprise, it wasn't Natasha, but rather Stark.

**_Stop making out with Loki and meet us upstairs. Jane just got here and she has some freaky shit to show us._ **

Wynn felt her cheeks go red, and she shoved the phone back into her pocket indignantly.

"Come upstairs whenever," she told Loki, heading for the door. It was tough looking at him now after reading Stark's message.

* * *

When she arrived to the top floor, Stark was pouring shots all around. She noticed that he filled a haggard Banner's to the very brim. Thor was the first to spot her, and he raised one massive arm in greeting. Now that Jane was here, the guy seemed happier than ever.

"My friend!" he called. "Come, sit and have a drink with us!"

"We're celebrating. No one got killed. Alcohol is required," Stark said as she wandered over. He handed her a shot, which she snatched from his hand. Under his breath, he whispered, "Did you like my text?"

"It was a riot," she hissed back, and Stark allowed himself a smug smile.

"Well, everyone, I'd like to, uh…apologize," Banner said, lifting his shot weakly.

Thor thrust his in the air and bellowed, "To apologies!"

Everyone threw back their drinks, save for Wynn because she detested whiskey, and someone (she assumed it was Jane) coughed lightly. Thor shook his head and made a face before turning to her.

"Lady Wynn, where is Loki? I gather that he'll want a drink."

"Banner turned him into oatmeal. Also totaled one of my cars," Stark explained to the room, more bitter than necessary.

Darcy laughed, eyes wide, and crowed, "That's awesome."

"I would hardly call it "awesome"," a very familiar voice spoke behind Wynn, and she jumped. There was Loki, in a fresh shirt, looking none too amused at being the topic of conversation. He had teleported in right behind her, and Wynn held a hand to her chest to try and still her heart.

"Warnings are essential, remember?" she told him, but he only snorted. Instead, he opted to reach for the shot in her hand and lifted it away with slender fingers. He threw it back, face blank, and handed the empty glass back to her.

"Hardcore," Wynn said sarcastically, and he flashed a bit of teeth at her.

"Excuse me, hi, super-villain and friend, over here," Stark said loudly, and Wynn turned back around to face the crowd of people that were gawking at the pair. When she narrowed her eyes, everyone looked away as if they hadn't been staring.

"I've got some things you all might want to see. I wanted to show it to you before Fury arrived," Jane said, lifting her backpack onto the table. Ten points to the girl for causing a distraction. All of them simultaneously leaned as she threw out a manila folder. Before she opened it, she looked up, lips pulled in a harsh line.

"Just to warn you, it doesn't really bring about optimistic thoughts."

_When does anything in this tower? _Wynn thought, and her eyes flickered over to Loki, whose face said pretty much the same thing. At least they could agree on that.


	9. Inexplicable

**ASKFLKLSAJG GUYS. 100 reviews? You're all amazing. Oh my gosh. Okay, I'm controlling myself...anyway, here's another chapter! It's a bit shorter, but I felt I stopped in the appropriate spot. The next chapter will probably be a big one because it involves a good chunk of plot. Till then!**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

"So you're telling me," Stark said, "That something entered the atmosphere somewhere around 3 a.m. and we have no idea what it is?" He scrubbed his face, and sighed. "Damn."

Jane picked up one of the photocopies and stared at it, as if having trouble believing it herself. "It looks a lot like when Thor came through, but there's not nearly as much apparent energy."

Thor looked at her, his face drawn in confusion.

"How is that?" he asked, and Jane patted his hand gently, as if that would ease the creases in his forehead.

"The power we've identified with the Tesseract and Bifrost seems to have no connection. Whatever entered our atmosphere was guarded from any burn-out, but controlled manually," Banner pointed out. He fiddled with his glasses, staring intently at the prints. The colors were bright, represented in as many wavelengths and angles as Jane could produce. The blob in the middle of each picture was ambiguous and dark, but definitely solid.

"Sooo…" Wynn said, "Are we talking body suits? Alien spacecraft? What?"

Banner leaned back, arms crossed. After a moment, it occurred to her that Banner was just as lost as the rest of them. Super-smart or not, the guy couldn't assume anything without evidence.

"Is this really all you can tell us?" Stark asked, seeming a little annoyed.

Not at Jane, but at the lack of information. Whatever had come through had shrouded itself extremely well, and Stark didn't deal well with being clueless. Jane just gave him a helpless look and muttered, "What you see is what you get."

"You know,this is like some Terminator shit!" Darcy cried happily. Of course. "Maybe there's an alien wandering around somewhere naked."

"With abs, Darcy?" Jane asked dryly, and Darcy winked at her.

"That'd be a plus."

Darcy made eye contact with Wynn, and Wynn couldn't help but waggle her eyebrows to show that she approved. She had liked Darcy from the second they met, because the girl was just as odd, if not odder than her. Jane was sweet, sure, but Darcy spewed out whatever was on her mind and made no apologies. It was admirable, if not a little weird at times. The things that occurred in Darcy's head weren't always appropriate for polite conversation.

"Why isn't Fury on it already?" Barton asked, and Jane smiled at him sheepishly.

"He is. S.H.I.E.L.D. detected it not long after we did. He just gave me the rare privilege of being the one to tell you. Erik is with them right now trying to explain what little we know. Even after the…_incident_," she said, shooting a glare at Loki, "He's still the best astrophysicist around, and no one blames him."

Wynn darted her eyes back and forth between Jane and Loki, feeling the tension. Erik Selvig had been under Loki's control for quite some time, along with Clint, which apparently didn't sit too well. Since Loki had been in Midgard, the only looks Clint ever gave him were full-throttle glares. Not that Wynn could blame the guy.

She cleared her throat and successfully turned Jane's glare to her instead of Loki. Loki didn't tolerate any heat from mortals, and with Wynn's luck he'd try and throw Jane through a window. Wynn would be blamed, of course, considering she was playing babysitter, and a raging Fury wasn't someone she wanted to deal with.

"So do you know what he'll have us do?" Wynn asked.

Before Jane could interject, Natasha said, "I assume he'll put us on patrol. Now that he knows for sure that something has arrived, he won't stop until we find it."

"Or it finds us," Barton pointed out.

The thought sent a tiny shiver up Wynn's spine, and Loki glanced at her from the corner of his eye, sensing her discomfort. To try and assure herself more than anyone else, she said loudly,

"We'll find whatever it is first."

"Yeah, positivity! Go with it, Wynny," Stark called, raising his drink in her direction. Looking down at his watch, he added, "I would go get in your fun for the day before Fury comes to ruin it. Should I punch the table to adjourn our meeting?"

Barton and Natasha stood up so fast they almost knocked their chairs over. They rushed off together, calling their good-byes.

_Assassin couple time, _Wynn thought dryly. _How adorable._

Loki was the next to stand, and Wynn almost groaned in disappointment. She didn't feel like going back to any room, because it was nice to socialize and see the light of day for a little bit.

Some part of her screamed, _"Follow orders, and do NOT look like you actually sort of like the guy! No fraternizing with the enemy of your friends!" _But Wynn couldn't help it. Loki was growing on her like some sort of fungus, and though she hated to admit it, he had saved her from being Hulk-smashed that morning. He deserved some alone time.

"Hey, Loki," she said to him as he began walking away. He turned back, and seemed almost surprised to see her still sitting in the chair, not following him.

"There are some books in my room that I know you haven't read. The door isn't locked, so help yourself. But if you mess with anything, so help me God…"

When he realized that he was being released from her watch, the relief on his face was palpable, which wasn't as insulting as it ought to have been. No one, god or not, liked having someone hang over their shoulder for almost all of their waking hours.

"I'll try and contain myself," he told her, a sarcastic edge creeping into his voice. He rushed off, probably to try and savor his alone hours as much as he could.

Stark made a tsk'ing sound, and Wynn turned to him, jaw set hard.

"Oh, stop it," she told Stark, but the man just shook his head, as if he was ashamed.

"Wooing the enemy. I didn't see you as the bad guy type."

"I'm _not_, and – wait, I'm not wooing him! Stark, you act like I just gave him a kiss and sent him off," Wynn snapped, and Darcy starting laughing.

"Might as well of. As far as everyone's concerned, you should be ripping his jugular out in your free time," the girl said, but her voice was teasing. Wynn instantly deflated, and shrugged.

"He's not _that _awful," she tried, and the look that came over Thor's face was a tad scary. It was a weird mix of admiration and pride, like he was happy that someone other than himself was actually defending his brother. Meanwhile, Stark choked on his drink.

"You're kidding me, right? You remember the part about mind-controlling people and letting an alien race almost destroy New York, right? _Right?"_

"Right," Wynn admitted grudgingly, "But Stark, he's not doing that now. I'm not going to treat him like a leper because of what he did two years ago. I can judge him as much as I want, but I'm only going to treat him like crap if he gives me a reason to."

"And he hasn't given you a reason to?"

"…Maybe once or twice, but we ironed that out."

Stark snorted and threw his hands up, obviously deciding that she was hopeless.

"You really believe that?" Jane asked, gripping the empty manila folder to her chest. Jane certainly had a reason to hate Loki, and seeing the look of incredulity in her eyes, Wynn almost wavered. But she insisted,

"I do. Second chances are the most humane thing you can give someone."

The room was quiet for a moment, before Stark gave a dreamy sigh and murmured,

"Fireside life lessons with Wynny the Pooh."

No one even attempted to scold her when she threw a shot glass at his head.

* * *

A month and a half passed in what seemed like the blink of an eye. September folded over into late October, and the temperature in New York plummeted along with the leaves of what few trees the city owned.

All was quiet on the enemy front, and no matter how many patrols they did or electronics they scanned, there was not a trace of their visitors. It seemed whatever life had entered their atmosphere had hidden away in a place where even S.H.I.E.L.D. was struggling to find it. No more homicides of the type they were searching for occurred either, and Wynn was grateful. The whole thing gave her the creeps.

And, she supposed, for all the silence the enemy was giving them, Stark tower made up for it. After Jane and Darcy had visited, Pepper had simply invited them to stay rather than go back to their Manhattan apartment. It made sense, because in their own way, they _were_ part of the team. A spot had been opened for Erik, too, whenever he was able to slip away from S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.

Needless to say, the population in Stark tower was growing, and her time was definitely kept occupied. She, Loki and another teammate often went out searching the city during night, usually by foot. She kept up her reports for Fury, for what little there was to actually report. Sometimes she tried to help Banner and Stark test a new invention, but they often shooed her from the lab after she sufficiently annoyed them with questions.

As time slipped by, she found that each day, she dreaded being by Loki's side a bit less. At first it was a struggle, simply because there was a constant knot of worry that he was going to do or say something awful. But after their first blow-out, nothing malicious between them had occurred. Really, if Wynn was safe to say, they had more good days than bad ones.

There were times when she went to meet Loki for breakfast and he was in an inexplicable foul mood, not speaking, jaw pressed tight. Wynn quickly learned that on those days, it was best to just be quiet and make her presence known but not overbearing. She never knew what triggered his brooding, but didn't question it, figuring that it would work itself out. And normally by the next day he was back to himself, as sarcastic and mischievious as normal.

In an attempt to keep Loki from growing too bored and wreaking havoc, she tried to come up with different things for them to do. She taught him how to play about every board game Stark owned, how to make smoothies (which went fine until he malfunctioned the blender and sent fruit all over the kitchen), how to drive a car.

When he wasn't dressed in leather and metal, she took him in public, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim and botanic gardens. Loki was intelligent, probably one of the most intelligent people she knew, and the museums seemed to fascinate him. She cooked him odd food to try, salmon tacos with mango salsa, coconut and mint noodles, garlic-tomato tarts, persimmon bread pudding.

Wynn liked to think she was expanding his horizons, but half the time it took a large amount of pleading for him to even try the food. After a while he began to trust her choices, but he still cast a suspicious eye while she was cooking.

But for all of her hard work and impulses to strangle him, there were days when she was actually able to scrape a smile from him, a laugh if she was truly lucky. Loki didn't often appear outwardly happy, but sometimes his mask slipped, the indifference shedding for a few moments. For being as guarded as he was, his smile was contagious, and Wynn found the irony of it amusing.

So maybe it shouldn't have come as a surprise when Wynn woke up and was unaccountably, immediately happy. It wasn't large or pressing, but it was _there_, a small lightness she could feel all the way down to her toes. The realization left her paralyzed in her bed, staring at the ceiling until Loki finally got impatient and came knocking at her door.

And the fact that he had even come searching for her, even if it was just to pester her to fix breakfast, was so startling that she was barely able to respond to tell him she was awake.


	10. Compromise

**Sorry it took me a while to get the new chapter out, guys! This chapter was being difficult. I kept changing it. Bleh. Anyway, thank you for all the responses! I would shower you all with hugs if that wouldn't be extremely frightening and creepy. Speaking of creepy things, it's about to get creepy in here (andalittleromanticbutyoudidn'thearthatfromme). I'm really interested in the feedback for this one...and nervous.**

**Also, expect a little delay for next time. It's finals week.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

The clock ticked away steadily in the dark, but Wynn was oblivious to it, deep in unconscious. It seemed to have a lulling effect on her, reminding her of the old grandfather clock she had in her hallway at home. It eased her into a bottomless sleep. So when the figure slipped from the shadow of the room, Wynn never stirred. Granted, no noise was made, the bare feet skimming over the floor. Slowly, a white hand reached out and touched her pulse point, feather soft. Blood raced under her skin, pure life.

The fingers twitched, aching to rip the throat from the girl's slender neck, but after a moment the digits retracted. The time would come for that, and when it did, the reward would be all the sweeter. Without a whisper, the silhouette glided back into the corner and melded with the wall.

* * *

Wynn rapped on Loki's door the next morning, and pulled her hands back into the cocoon of her sleeves. Stark hadn't bothered to turn on the heat yet, and the tower was at a steady temperature of "freeze your ass off".

The door creaked open and Loki, from the other side of the room, waved her in. Wynn hesitated a moment before entering the room, and shook her head.

"You've got to stop doing that. I feel like I'm in "The Amityville Horror" when you move crap around."

Loki glanced at her and didn't bother to ask her what the reference was. Instead, he continued his pacing, back and forth, wall to wall. He looked like a caged tiger, brow furrowed in a jumble of creases.

Wynn watched him warily, and after a few seconds of tracing his body repeatedly from side to side, she asked, "What's wrong?"

Loki jerked to a stop, as if startled from a task. Their eyes met for a brief moment before he locked his jaw and shook his head the tiniest bit.

"I don't expect you to feel it."

"Feel _what_?"

Loki braced his palms upward, towards the ceiling, as if trying to conjure an explanation. Wynn thought she saw his fingertips tremble a little, a subtle warning of his exasperation.

"Something is amiss," he concluded, leaving Wynn more than frustrated.

"Did your dinner not settle well? Do you feel like you're forgetting something? Is there a disturbance in the force? Your specifics need brushing up, Loki," Wynn sighed. The god whipped a glare at her, and she put up her hands in defeat.

"Sorry, sorry. Let's just go get something to eat, okay? I'm starving. Tell me about it at breakfast."

Loki rubbed one eyebrow in aggravation, obviously put-off by the fact that he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was bothering him. It probably didn't help that he couldn't explain it to her, either. As he approached her, the disturbed look on his face grew into something like astonishment. Without warning, he bent forward and into the crook of her neck. Wynn recoiled in surprise, but he seized her shoulder and pulled her in the slightest bit. She felt the brush of his hair, and the cool tip of his nose barely skimmed the hot skin of her throat before he yanked back.

"I smell it on you," he said, releasing her from his grip. Wynn rubbed her neck, as if to gather her thoughts. She took a deep breath, and the fact that the air shuddered in her lungs didn't escape her.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she asked.

A knot began to wind up her gut in alarm at his words, and the knot only grew when he replied, "I would go see the doctor. Perhaps he will be able to trace it. I don't recognize it, but the feel of it…" he trailed off and she saw his throat tighten. "I wager that it's no white magic."

* * *

Banner gently swabbed her neck with the tracing cloth while she stared at the ceiling. Loki had told him to try at the pulse, but Banner had traced the whole side of her neck for good measure.

"If I work fast, I may be able to identify it by the end of today. If it's identifiable, that is."

Banner gently tucked the cloth in between two sheets of glass, to be examined and scanned later.

"And he wasn't able to tell you anything?" Banner asked, and Wynn shook her head. Loki had made himself scarce after dropping her off at the lab. He had looked paler than normal, and when she asked him where he was heading to, he just told her that he was going to "test the water". Whatever that meant.

"I guess it makes sense that he'd be able to detect it. Heightened senses, and all that," Wynn pointed out, as if defending him. But Banner just gave her a small smile and folded his glasses over his collar.

"I'll get back to you as soon as I can. In the meantime, try not to worry."

"It's a little tough _not_ to worry. The whole episode gives me the heebie-jeebies." Wynn gave an exaggerated shudder, but the dramatics were lost on Banner. He remained passive as ever.

"I admit it's more than a little strange, but I'll get Stark in the know. We'll figure it out soon enough."

"I trust you, Doctor."

Wynn gave him a mock salute and hopped off the table, calling good-bye as she hauled it out of the lab. As much as she liked Banner, the whole sterile, scientific environment wasn't for her. After all the tests S.H.I.E.L.D. put her through after the explosion, she had received her fill of labs for a lifetime…and then some.

She began wandering through the tower, looking for Loki. But after the thirteenth floor, she decided to just go straight to the top. If she could find Stark, who was most likely at the bar, then she could find Loki. The watchful eye that Stark kept on the tower bordered on creepy.

And, sure enough, Stark was just where she had predicted, Thor by his side. He was filling a frosty mug to the brim with beer from the tap, and she judged by the monstrous size of it that it was intended for Thor. That, or Stark was having a really bad day.

"Hey, guys," she called, passing over the slick marble floor. Stark held up a hand in greeting, but Thor, ever the polite one, swiveled around on his chair and held out his arms.

"Lady Wynn! Have you come to join us?"

She shook her head and craned her neck up to meet his gaze. For a moment, she considered sitting down beside him, but she hardly thought a nosebleed was required just so she could have a conversation.

"Actually, I came to see if either of you knew where Loki was. I've been all over the tower trying to find him."

Stark gave her a skeptical look as he poured a clear liquid over ice. Something strong, no doubt.

"You don't know where he is? That's a first."

"I had to go see Banner, and he kind of ran off. He's been a little weird today. I don't-"

Stark held up finger to shush her, and pressed a hand to the intercom on the wall.

"Jarvis, where's Loki?"

"At the top of the tower, sir. He's been there for quite a while."

"Maybe he's gonna jump. You should go egg him on," Stark told Wynn, hand still pressed to the intercom. She curled her lip up at him in distaste, but Jarvis was still talking, so she kept her mouth shut.

"And sir? When you have a free moment, it would be in your best interest to recalibrate the security system."

"Mmm," Stark mumbled, letting go and turning back to the bar. Jarvis was silent after that, and Wynn gave Stark a worried look.

"Stark, maybe you should do what Jarvis says."

"Jarvis is even more paranoid than I am. Are you going to go push Loki off the roof or not?"

With a huff, she backpedaled away from the bar, keeping a steady glare on Stark. With a squeeze to Thor's arm, she headed off; at least Stark had the courtesy to open the doors for her. As soon as she stepped outside, a strong gust of wind hit her, and she turtled into her sweater. Hesitantly, she looked straight up, and sure enough, she saw a glimpse of Loki at the top of the platform. The very top.

With a groan, she began trekking up the narrow set of stairs that bypassed all of the glass windows. By the time she made it to the platform, the stairs had thinned significantly and she felt a bit weak in the knees. Wynn wasn't scared of heights, but the sheer height of it was disorientating. New York sprawled beneath her like a system of metal ants – even the tallest buildings were dwarfed by Stark tower. She let out a low whistle at the sight of it, and heard Loki scoff.

"You are impressed now. If only you saw Asgard."

"What's it like?" Wynn asked, taking baby steps over to his side. Walking normally felt dangerous on the small piece of building they stood upon, as if she'd careen over the edge without noticing.

Loki hesitated for a second before telling her, "Golden. The monuments and buildings rest on mountains, above the sea. It truly is beautiful."

Wynn didn't fail to notice how bitter that last statement sounded. Loki was the ultimate paradox – he was of Asgard, but was not really of Asgard. He had believed that the Jotunn were monsters only to find out he was one. She felt he was entitled to be just a tiny bit astringent when it came to referring the city.

"And what about Jotenheimr? Have you ever been there before?"

"You know I have," Loki said, his voice cool. Wynn felt the edge under his words though, and lifted a hand to rub her shoulder in nervousness.

"I'm not sure what-"

"I'm not daft," Loki spat, and his anger was sudden but familiar. "I know my bro- I know _Thor_ told you of my true parentage. Though I commend you for keeping it quiet for so long, what with all the questions you ask."

"Okay, _one_," Wynn said, holding up a finger, "I don't ask a lot of questions, that's ridiculous. And _two_," she added another finger, "I don't know why you're upset. Whether Thor told me or you told me, it's not like it matters."

Loki twisted around so that he was facing her rather than the city, and she could see that his jaw was set tight. The whole topic of his past, no matter how slight, seemed to rile up some huge pit of rage. It seemed to her that Loki, for all of his obvious maturity and intelligence, was still like a little kid stomping his feet.

"Look, I can't imagine what it was like for you because I wasn't there. I don't know how those people treated you or what you went through, but you're not a _part_ of that anymore. What's done is done, Loki. You can...move on, you know?"

The laugh that followed was harsh and hollow. "You're terribly mistaken. I will always be a part of it. I grew in the shadows of greatness and critisism. I cannot _move __on _after thousands of years of slights, nor can I change what I am." He took a step back from her, two steps, and turned to face the city again. His posture was rigid, hands clasped to his sides.

Even without trying, he stood like a scolded child, holding his tongue. She wondered how many times he had stood like that, behind Thor, watching and waiting but not a part of it. Wynn sighed, and almost without registering it, covered the same ground his feet just had to stand beside him. Being this close to the edge made her knees tremble, but she stayed so close that their elbows brushed.

"And I think that's where _you're_ mistaken," Wynn remarked, trying to sound calm even though her heart was clawing up her throat. "We get a choice. We're not our mistakes, and we're not our parents. I fought like hell to make sure of that."

Slowly, so slowly it was almost painful, she let her hand drift over to his so that just the pinkie fingers made contact. The touch was subtle, but she felt his hand twitch when he registered it.

"You're not Odin and you're not Laufey, and you're not Thor. You don't _need _to be. You're Loki. And I think that's good enough."

"Sentiments," he said, but his voice was weaker, like he was speaking a great distance. Wynn felt terribly aware of his skin touching hers, and he suddenly moved his hand away, as though it was an afterthought.

Wynn hesitated a moment before turning away. She felt that she should say something else, but she couldn't beat anything into his head. When Loki was ready, he'd open his mouth and explain things to her in his own way. Or at least she hoped he would.

"I'm going to go get lunch; you coming?" she asked. He cast a withering look in her direction.

"Are you going to make me play that damned game again afterward?" he asked.

"What, you mean "Sorry"? Dude, you won every game, be thankful."

"When you're my competition, it's hardly a challenge."

"That was just rude," Wynn called as she disappeared down the stairway. After a moment, she heard the sound of his footsteps following.

* * *

"We should flip a coin," Barton said idly. He stared at the ceiling as he spun around in the chair. Wynn watched his form rotate at a dizzying pace before she threw out a foot to stop him.

"I told you I'd go, and I'll go," Wynn insisted, but Barton just shrugged her off.

"It's not a good idea. What with that freaky shit Banner found on you, I'm surprised you're not hiding under your blankets."

"Is that really what you think I'd do?" Wynn asked, grinding her teeth.

"You heard Fury, Wynn. He was losing his fucking mind; Stark, too. We've been compromised. The same crap they found on that dead guy was on you. That means, if you haven't realized by now, that they got past all of Stark's security and into your room, and no one was any the wiser. If you're not scared, I'm scared for you," Barton replied, half-yelling by the end of it.

Wynn turned away, and saw Loki studying her with a furrow in his brow, silent and observing like always. She deliberately avoided both of their gazes and chose to stare down at the separated parts of her Glock that lay on the table.

"Yes, I realize, and yes, of course I'm scared," she muttered, not looking up as she started to reconstruct her gun, "But I was assigned patrol tonight and it's what I'll do."

"Whatever you say," Barton sighed, and stood. "At least switch with me and Nat by 2, instead of running around all night like last time. Stark and Banner are sitting out this round to revamp the security system."

Sensing that he was looking for a compromise, she said, "We can do that."

She finally looked at Barton and gave him a cheeky grin, which was supposed to be reassuring but only served to exasperate him more. Suddenly, the man turned to Loki, and said, "And I swear to God, if you don't watch her back out there I'll come for you myself."

Turning on his heel, Barton stormed out, leaving the two alone in the meeting room. There was a moment of silence before Wynn burst out laughing.

"I hardly find a mortal threatening me funny," Loki said, but there wasn't any malice in his voice. If anything, he seemed amused at Barton's outburst.

"Hey," Wynn gasped, rubbing a tear from her eye, "At least he's talking to you now. For a while there I thought he was going to try and stab you in your sleep."

Loki didn't respond to that one, but she knew he didn't take her seriously. They all knew, Barton included, that if he tried to hurt Loki he probably wouldn't stand a chance. But neither of them had pulled anything, and for that, Wynn was grateful.

"C'mon, it's almost ten. We should get going. Oh, and if you make yourself disappear again and pretend to be a stalker, I'm really going to kill you this time."

Loki smirked, and stood up to smooth out all of the various leather and metal that adourned his body. He was back in his Asgardian gear, looking like he was going to a war field in Middle-earth rather than the streets of New York.

"Is that a promise, Miss Randall?"

She snapped the magazine into the pistol, switched on the safety, and stuffed it in the holster. As she sheathed her machete and slung it on her back, Wynn gave him a smile, dimples and all.

"You know it is."


	11. Execution

**The reviews and alerts and favorites and asjkjalkja you guys are amazing. Also, I noticed that you all miss Nanook - I made sure to mention him in this chapter, and he'll be appearing in the next. **

**Also, I'll go ahead and apologize for the end of this chapter now. No scrolling ahead, you cheaters.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

New York was as settled as New York could be, and the only people milling around at one in the morning kept to themselves. Wynn and Loki strolled down the sidewalk in the old market district, scanning the area discreetly. It was another dead night; there was no action occurring in the city, no screams for help, no panicked calls from Stark tower telling them to haul ass to any certain location.

So they were left like they were for a majority of patrols - with discussion. At first, patrols with Loki had been the most awkward experiences of her life. She had done most of the talking (which, if she was being honest, bordered on babbling) while he had responded with grunts and "hmm"s and one-word answers.

Amazing how things changed with a huge amount of persistence and pleading.

"Wait, so there's nothing like cheesecake on Asgard? Which means you've never had _cheesecake_?" Wynn cried, as if this was a blasphemous revelation.

"If there's nothing like it, how would I have had it before?" Loki asked, raising one black brow.

"You're sassy today. First thing tomorrow, we're making a cheesecake."

He made a noncommittal noise, which Wynn interpreted as agreement. Sighing, she adjusted her machete sling and looked up at the sky.

"It smells like snow. Nanook'll be happy," she commented, mostly to herself, but Loki held a palm up to the sky and said, "You're correct."

Wynn raised her eyebrows at him, and said incredulously, "You can tell? That's awesome! I was just taking a stab at it, but _okay_."

He shot a sardonic smile at her, more a bearing of teeth than anything, and in the dull light of the streetlamp it looked creepy. When she told him this, he snorted.

"And here I thought I couldn't scare you off," he said dryly. Wynn shoved her hands deeper in the pocket of her jeans and tried not to shiver.

"I didn't actually say I was going anywhere, did I?"

When she didn't get a response, she kept on, "Damn, it's cold out here. I think I'll make Thor walk Nanook tomorrow morning. I'm pretty sure he's going to kidnap the poor thing anyway."

"The beast is almost as idiotic as my brother. It's not surprising that they get on so well."

"That was just insulting, Loki. Nanook isn't stupid."

The laugh that erupted from Loki's mouth came out of nowhere, and for a second they both seemed startled. But Wynn found that she rather liked his laugh when it wasn't being used for a sarcastic effect. Despite the fact that he looked like he wanted to snatch the laugh out of the air and stuff it back into his mouth, it made her feel like he actually enjoyed her company.

"By the way," she continued, "Did you guys not have pets on Asgard? Thor seems like he would've been the kind of kid to beg for a dog if they existed there."

"We had horses; riding was a large part of our pastime. More myself than Thor's. But no, animals were not kept for company."

"Huh." Wynn tried to imagine Loki atop a horse, actually enjoying himself. She admitted that it was a little tough to picture.

"I'd be so lonely if I didn't have Nanook," she said. The statement was painfully true, and she felt silly for admitting it so openly. Loki glanced at her, but if he thought her confession childish, it didn't show on his face.

"Do you not have friends? No men courting you?" he asked bluntly, and Wynn could feel her cheeks color at the last question.

"Not really. I've been involved with the military since I got out of high school, and even when I wasn't on-duty…it was tough for me to meet people. After the incident with S.H.I.E.L.D., any hope I had at a normal social life went out of the window anyway." She paused, weighing her next question, before asking, "What about you?"

The silence she received was not unanticipated in the least bit. Whenever she wandered into the subject of his personal life, she could feel him clam up. It felt perverse to know all that she knew about his past, but none of how it had made him feel; she had never heard his side of the story. She watched Loki grind his teeth for a second, deliberating.

"I was a prince and Thor's brother; therefore Thor's friends were mine through…association. Had I not possessed that status, I would have been disrespected even more than I already was when my brother was not around."

_Oh. Ouch. _She tried to keep the wince off her face at his words, because the guy had basically just owned up to being tolerated because of Thor, but not liked for his person. His pride must have been weeping.

"That must have been tough," Wynn said softly, and when he gave her a withering look, she shrugged. "Okay, shitty. It must have been super shitty. But if it makes you feel any better, I used to live next to this girl named Sharon Mills, and she and all her friends used to make fun of me, and one time they put a worm in my sandwich. Sure, I puked on her, but I haven't been able to look at peanut butter since then."

"Puked?"

"I vomited. Right in her stupid face. Pretty sure some of it got in her eye."

"That's…delightful."

Wynn laughed, "_Anyway_, I understand. You did sorcery and studied, I used to put Barbie heads on sticks and pretend I was the leader of a cannibal tribe. We would have gotten along great as kids. Rejects band together, you know."

Under the dull yellow cast of the streetlight, she could see one side of Loki's mouth quirk.

"We have near to an hour left," he said, deftly changing the subject. "We'll cover more ground if we go separate ways."

"If you wanted to get rid of me, you could've just asked," Wynn huffed, but before Loki could try and get defensive, she dimpled one cheek at him and broke away for the opposite street. "Kidding! Meet you back here. Don't blow anything up."

Not like he'd have a chance – Fury probably had a tracking device buried in Loki's knee or something. As they walked away from each other, his footsteps fading behind her, the city street suddenly seemed lonelier, and slightly eerie.

It was like a scene out of some low-budget horror movie – dumb girl walking home from work, hears heavy breathing behind her, breaks into sprint and simultaneously breaks both her ankle and her bra. Except this girl would send a blade through the creep's eye socket.

The thought comforted her, and Wynn huddled farther down into her pea coat. Sighing, she admired the wisps of her breath hanging in the air. It would be a long hour, now that she was alone. She continued down the street, trying to be overly aware of everything around her despite the odd feeling of emptiness that Loki had left at her side.

* * *

1:45. Fifteen more minutes, and she could head back to the curb where Loki had left her, go back to Stark tower, and sleep. Beautiful sleep. It lured her to walk a bit faster.

Maybe it was her focus on the idea of sleep, or how she'd tell Loki about the drunken homeless guy she had run into, but her reaction was delayed when she heard the garbage can clatter to the ground.

Normally, her reflex would have been killer fast, but she actually stiffened before turning, knees already folding into a crouch. Her hands had lifted automatically, ready to pull her machete from its sheath. Wynn's eyes followed the rolling garbage can across the street, spilling its greasy contents as it went.

She took a mental inventory – dilapidated apartment buildings, not many tenants, two cars parked on the side of the street. Metal garbage cans lined down the sidewalk, a few free bags loitering at doorsteps. The neighborhood was quiet, not upheld well, perfect for a raccoon or big rat. A big, big rat that could push a whole garbage can over.

_Right._

Her knees relaxed a little, but her hand never lowered. Wynn waited though maybe three minutes of silence before she let it rest back at her side, and her heart began to beat a little bit slower. False alarm.

And then the figure stepped into the light of the street lamp, a little less than thirty feet away.

From where Wynn stood, she couldn't identify exact features, but the form was most definitely female, and tall. Wynn wanted to call out, take a step forward, but for some reason her body propelled her backwards, away from the person. It took her by surprise – she never retreated, but something in her instinct drove her back. The figure took a corresponding step forward, out of the light.

The woman was only a shadow then, and too dark to gauge any movement. Wynn snapped her hand up to grab the hilt of her machete. Suddenly, the small blue Toyota that had been resting by the light exploded into the air and came careening toward her in a shower of sparks and screeching metal. All of the muscles bunched in Wynn's body as she dove to the side, out of the street and onto the sidewalk.

The car flipped past her, already a bunch of twisted steel, and came to rest in a mass of smoke. Wynn, having fallen to her side, scrambled up and immediately sidestepped back into the street to maximize her room. It only took a second before something else was flying at her – another trash can, aimed at her head. She tucked at the waist and felt the air compress over her as the object hurdled past.

_'Identify the enemy, you idiot!' _She screamed at herself, and made her eyes flit to all mass components of her surroundings. There, the woman – closing in, twenty feet away. Wynn could see now that she was extremely tall, slender, wearing a tunic made of metal and boots as high as mid-thigh. In her hand, she grasped the top of a trash can, and the first thought that flickered through Wynn's mind was a loud explicative.

Her body seemed to know what was coming next, but was just a second too slow – she ducked, but not before the woman hurled the top like a Frisbee. It careened into Wynn's head, and the reaction was immediate. She went down hard, vision exploding into white; she could feel the thin skin of her temple and cheekbone split open.

The pavement was the only thing she could grasp as the sky spun over her head, wide brown eyes unable to focus. Her training was engrained – she instantly began scrabbling away, attempting to both create distance and get herself to her feet. But each time she tried to heave herself up, she faltered and fell back down.

Just as her line of sight began to realign and she had gotten herself halfway up, a solid boot uppercut into her ribs and sent her belly-down on the cold pavement. She tried to gasp, to re-inflate her lungs, but the pain in her left knee left her breathless. The woman was bearing all of her weight down into the back of Wynn's knee, crunching it, so that if Wynn tried to get up and run she'd have to rip her own leg off.

"I'm somewhat impressed," a voice rasped, the sound both guttural and purely feminine. The accent was one she couldn't indentify, even through ears that felt like they were clogged with cotton.

"Most mortals would have been dead already. I will remedy that. You will serve as a warning to those pretending to be heroes."

What she felt next made her mind go blank with pure terror. All thought ceased as she the weight of her pistol lifted from her hip.

Wynn had been scared before, near death, but these panics were sudden and abrupt. In the explosion, the tests Fury had sent her through, being shot at or snuck up on – there was no time to think. But now, lying on her stomach in an empty New York street, feeling her own blood seep around her head in a halo, she could feel nothing but the thrum of her pulse.

It was an execution.


	12. Beneath the Ribs

**Hope you guys liked that last cliffhanger. -twirls mustache- Oh, and just to avoid any potential confusion, the POV will be switching momentarily mid-chapter. So instead of third-person Wynn, it'll be third-person Loki. Okay, okay, I'll shut up and let you get to reading. And once again, a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who reviews and favorites and etc. It gives me the warm and fuzzies.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

**P.S. – To the anon "Random Fan". I read your comment and laughed till I cried. Done.**

* * *

_A warm hand braced itself against her back, and her father held out the cards. In all truth, she wasn't even interested in learning how to play Rummy, but it meant time with her father before he was deployed again. And she would have sold her (relatively priceless) leg to spend all of her waking hours basking in his presence. Because he had that kind of glow - a set of wide brown eyes that matched her own and a laugh that seemed to reverberate in the chest. He smelled like sandalwood and had hands twice the size of hers; no matter what he did, he made her feel safe. _

"_You paying attention, Blueberry? I can't let you cheat later because you weren't listening," her father said, playfully flicking her ear._

"_Daddy, stop! I'm listening!" she giggled, but he grabbed her up and flipped her upside-down so that she shrieked in laughter._

"_I don't believe you!" he bellowed, and even though she was hanging by her ankles in the air, Wynn felt completely safe, because she knew that he'd never drop her. _

_And then she was falling through the air, the blood rushing in her eyes and sealing like a vacuum, snapping her into a blank white – _

_But it wasn't – _

Wynn was sucked back into reality after the minute black-out; the relief had been fleeting.

Her eyes flickered slightly to the sound of the hammer being cocked back and into place, preparing a bullet to fire. Blood stuck her long eyelashes to her cheek, but she pried them open and stared out to the side. No tears. Only disbelief, a jagged terror cutting her to the quick.

It all happened simultaneously, in one pop of action and loud noise. The woman screamed just as the gun fired, and the sound was disgusting and brutal. Wynn had never heard such a screech from any human – it sounded bat-like and guttural. And then the pain started, exploding from her shoulder blade and spreading around her right breast like an acid. The opportunity wasn't about to be wasted, though; clutching under her armpit, Wynn scrambled to her feet and spun around. Her knee shook dangerously under her weight, and the shock of pain was fierce.

_Ignore it. Go._

As she moved away, she could see her pistol resting on the ground, and above it was the woman, doubled in half with her hands clutched to her face.

"I didn't actually believe my hand would be forced," a familiar voice murmured, and a pit of relief carved itself into her stomach. Loki paced up to stand beside her, face drawn into something unrecognizable. It was almost a look of resignation, of practice. The blood and violence hadn't fazed him one bit.

Laughter jilted the empty air, and Wynn watched as the woman straightened up, blood coursing down her face. A dagger jutted from her eye, but despite the fact that it was probably lodged into her brain, she didn't falter. She wrapped her fingers around the small hilt of the knife and yanked it out, sending a small arc of blood flying through the air. The gore was awful; her eye was destroyed, and bruising had already begun to bloom on her skin.

"Your hand will be forced until it breaks, Odinson," she rasped, and Wynn saw Loki slip another dagger in between his deft fingers.

"How do you know of myself or my father?" Loki asked, and Wynn was astonished at how easily he called the man he held so much anger and confliction for "father". Knowing when the God of Lies was actually _lying _made Wynn feel strange, like she was watching an assassin at work.

"You will come to find out. In time. And when that time comes, we will relish it."

The woman's one good eye locked with Wynn's gaze, and she could see no iris – the pupil was blown out, fully black, engulfing. She smiled then, lips stretching unnaturally far, and her tiny little shark teeth glinted in the dull lighting.

"Odinson, you do not know what pain is yet."

There was no warning of her departure, no "I Dream of Jeannie" head bob or magic words. The woman just seemed to fade from sight and disappear; the only indication she had ever been there was the small pool of blood that marred the pavement like a sore.

"Holy shit," Wynn whispered, and she sank down just a bit, knees giving. The pain felt like a throb, turning her whole body into one giant ache. She was not used to feeling pain, having been resistant to it for almost three years.

"She shot you as she flinched," Loki said, grasping her by the left arm. He pulled Wynn back up on her feet, but she wobbled. Suddenly there were two of him; the apartment buildings looked like they were colliding into each other. Everything lilted.

"Blood loss," Loki explained, clutching her harder. "Does it pain you?"

"Yeah," she gasped. For some reason, the question angered her. It wasn't _supposed _to hurt. The toxin was supposed to make her numb to pain; her vulnerability grated against her like sandpaper. "The bitch crushed my knee and almost shot my boob off. It hurts a little."

She yanked her arm from his grasp even though the action sent pinpricks of black floating through her vision. Stumbling over to her pistol, she kicked it through the pool of blood beside it so that the metal got an even coating.

"Banner can swab the gun for a blood sample," she muttered as she gingerly picked up the gun and put it in the holster. Wynn paused as she heard a familiar noise pierce the air – police sirens. One of the few tenants must have called the cops after all the commotion.

Wynn made a sound of exasperation and said, "We have to go now. S.H.I.E.L.D. will take care of the mess, but if we stay we'll be arrested. That'll make their job a lot harder."

She considered Loki for a second before asking, "Can you do that teleport thing on both of us?"

"I can, though I'm not certain it will cover the entire distance to the tower," he paused, and continued, "Though Odin's hold on my power has been loosening."

"Worth a shot," Wynn rushed, eyes flitting to the end of the street nervously. "How do we-"

He stepped forward and grabbed her by the arm again, pulling her in. The swift motion made her vision swim, but this time the spinning didn't stop. Black started to swell in her peripheral, and she felt a wave of nausea wash through her stomach. Wynn clutched Loki's chest plate in a desperate attempt to keep herself upright.

"I don't expect you to be awake when we arrive. Hold tight."

Before Wynn could ask what he meant, there was a rushing sensation, much like going down the first terrifying hill on a rollercoaster. She felt like she was being pulled from her body, and what little she could register was a blur of lights.

It felt much longer than the few seconds it actually took, but nonetheless, when they arrived on the platform of Stark tower she was unconscious. Loki could feel the slackening of her limbs as she slumped into him, and he dragged her to the door.

* * *

Saying that the others were upset was an understatement. By the time Barton stopped screaming at him, all of the tower had been alerted and were crowded around. Banner took the bloody gun as Wynn had said, and instructed Loki to take her to her room, that rest was the only thing she needed. For a fleeting moment, he respected the man-beast for being the only calm, sane one there.

All of the other men were thundering at him, firing questions, trying to inspect the damage. Darcy held Wynn's limp hand while Jane let a few quiet tears slip at the sight of the girl. This infuriated Loki; he wanted to shake his brother's woman, shame her. The girl that was braced against him had been beaten, shot, threatened, but had not cried. Not one tear, not once.

"Let me through," he snarled.

Had Banner not spoken up, they probably would not have let him leave. But the team parted and allowed him to move her to her room. They watched him go, and it didn't surprise him when one broke away and followed. Darcy trailed behind him, and when they arrived to the door said, "If you wait here, I'll get her some fresh clothes. The ones she's wearing are nasty."

"As you say," he replied, nudging the door open. He lifted Wynn and laid her on the bed so that only her feet dangled off. Without a word, he turned and paced back into the hallway, waiting for the woman to change Wynn's clothes. Nudity didn't bother him, nor was the girl hard on the eyes, but it felt invasive to watch her be stripped while she lay bloody and unaware.

"Okay, we're good here," Darcy called after a few minutes, and he re-entered to see Wynn tucked under the covers like a child. Darcy smoothed the girl's hair and sighed.

"She _looks_ like shit, but her head is already better." Her eyes flickered over to him, and she nervously pushed her glasses up. "Are you staying here? With her?"

"I suppose."

"Okay. Um. Do you need a book or something?"

"I will find one in here," he said, growing impatient. "You may go."

"I can excuse myself, thank you," the girl snapped, but she moved to make her exit anyway. She hesitated, hand on the doorknob, before shooting him one last defiant glare. "And don't try anything shady!" Darcy half-shouted before slamming the door.

Loki stood there for a second, slightly stunned that the mortal girl had just shouted a command at him, before he sank down onto the edge of the bed. At this point, it shouldn't surprise him how bold the mortals were with him. He had certainly lost credentials, associating with the agent like he did.

Loki turned his head and stared at the said girl, studied her. Her face was heart-shaped, with lips that were small but full; her eyes, when opened, seemed big and lucid, as if she was constantly laughing. Two small indentations that deepened into pocks called 'dimples' when she smiled.

His eyes fell on her neck, the column slender, and he knew that beneath the blankets she was leggy, with hips that sharpened into knives and small breasts, not nearly as shapely as the women he had briefly courted in Asgard.

The sharp pull of attraction he felt both startled and disturbed him; she was not ugly, not by a long-shot, but she was a _human_. He didn't like the way she looked at him, as if he mattered, as if she was actually interested in what he said. He was used to cool, impassive eyes, women who lay with him for status or for a night of meaningless contact. And he understood this, understood that his desires and drives could be fulfilled without emotion or affection. No mess.

And there was the rub.

He had stuck his neck out for this girl countless times, engaged her in conversation, allowed her to glimpse at the knot of hate he kept coiled beneath his ribs. Like a dog exposing its belly. It shamed him, disgusted him that he'd let a woman, much less a human, open him up and look inside, no matter how brief the glances were.

She was not passive or cold, had screamed at him and touched him without permission and heard every word he said. Perhaps that is why he had saved her, allowed her to be close, closer than any woman had ever gotten.

Loki bent over at the waist, elbows on knees, and listened to her breathe.

* * *

The first thing she noticed was the weight on her legs, heavy and hot. Wynn groaned and slapped a hand over her eyes, trying to block the light. Her head ached something fierce, but the rest of her felt fine. Normal. Like she had never been shot or kicked.

Rising up to her elbows, she looked down her body to see Nanook spread over her legs, his massive head almost hanging off of the bed.

"I didn't invite you to this party," she grumped, and jiggled her leg. With a snort, the dog jerked awake and struggled to heave himself into an upward position.

"You're gonna have to go on a diet, dude. You look like a turtle." Wynn sat up and grabbed Nanook by the collar so that she could pull him off of his side. As soon as he was unstuck, he hauled himself to his feet and paced up to lick at her face, the bed sinking under his weight. She batted him away, but then scrubbed his ears in apology.

"As much as I love you," Wynn said, "You need a good brushing. Or lots of Tic-Tacs. I'll steal Stark's toothbrush later and we'll get you straight."

Stretching, she looked down and noticed she'd be changed into a thin t-shirt and pajama shorts. The horror on her face must have been tangible, because a voice said from the other side of the room,

"Calm yourself. The Darcy woman changed your clothing."

Wynn started and saw Loki sitting on the couch, book face-down in his lap. So he had been watching her all this time. Awkward.

"I'm calm, I'm calm," Wynn said, and gave him a half-smile. "How long was I out?"

"Around six hours. It was necessary."

"I definitely feel better. I need some aspirin, though. My head is killing me," she sighed, and stretched one last time.

"We need to go talk to the doctor immediately. He stayed the night through to test the blood sample," Loki told her, and she groaned. Wynn didn't want to talk about what had occured, especially when she was still trying to process it herself. The whole event had left her somewhat stunned. All she wanted to consider were simple things: food, aspirin, making cheesecake, brushing Nanook's teeth. Not being attacked by an alien freak.

Avoidance it was.

"Food and drugs first. Banner later."

Loki made a "hmm" sound in his throat, and then threw something to her. Her cell phone landed beside her on the bed, and Nanook sniffed it experimentally.

"Someone was trying to reach you while you were asleep. They must have been rather urgent. I counted around fourteen sets."

"Calls, you mean?" Wynn said, unlocking the screen to see who had been blowing up her phone.

_Oh God._

"Nooo," she whined, and fell back into her pillow.

"Someone unpleasant?"

Wynn held the phone over her head, the screen glaring down at her. Taunting her, she was sure of it.

"Extremely. My mother."


	13. Bones

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews. :) Also, before we get going, I'd like to credit the amazing "xLettuce" for the fanart she did of this story. It's completely wonderful and hilarious. If you want to take a look, there's a link on my profile page (well, Copy/Paste).**

**I'm super interested in the feedback for this one. -twirls mustache- Let's just get it straight that this is a give/take relationship, okay guys? Okay.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

"I believed daughters and mothers preferred one another," Loki said. He was either honestly confused as to why she seemed to be staring at her phone in horror, or it was a sad attempt to comfort her. Wynn was 99 percent sure it was the former. Not that she blamed him – she hadn't exactly explained the situation in detail. The topic of her mother had remained mostly untouched since she had begun to have actual conversations with Loki.

Her cell phone told her she had 12 new messages, starting from midnight and ending around four in the morning. Wynn rolled her eyes.

"Not this pair," she muttered, slowly typing in her voicemail password. "She's my mother biologically, but she sure as hell never acted like one."

Loki watched her lift the phone to her ear, and his face was carefully neutral.

An electronic voice said in her ear:

_You have 12 new messages. First message._

Wynn sucked in her breath as her mother's voice drifted into her ear, sounding decidedly drunk.

"Baby, pick up the phone. I haven't talked to you in so long. I'm sorry about last time, okay? Call me back."

_Yeah, right._

"I know I was horrible to you. I didn't mean what I said. Pick up, _please_."

The next three calls were just shuffling and sighs, a few words she couldn't make out.

"_Wynn Marie. _Pick up the goddamn phone."

"Wynn, you're acting like a child. No matter how many times I apologize…your father would have forgiven me."

_Damn, Ma, _Wynn thought, a swell of anger rising in her chest. _Way to go for a low blow. _

_Next message._

"I miss you. I want to see you and you don't even have the decency to pick up. Do you hate me that much? Are you that selfish?"

"Oh, God."

The tenth and eleventh were just soft crying, before the last message finally began.

"I miss you, baby," her mother slurred, "Miss you. I'm so stuck. I need you now." There was a small sob before the call ended and the electronic voice came back on to inform her that she had reached the end.

Wynn brought the phone down and stared at it for a second before erasing all of the messages. She considered the cell phone briefly before she gave it a hard clench and hurled it across the room. The small device soared through the air and crashed into the far wall, shattering into two pieces.

Snatching up the nearest pillow, Wynn stuffed her face in it, bent over at the waist, and screamed something unintelligible into the fabric. Loki watched with no small amount of interest, torn between being amused and being concerned. If anything, he just looked like he wanted to sneak out of the room and run. As far as he knew, women (Asgardian or not) were frighteningly volatile when angered. They also tended to scream or weep, which didn't appeal to Loki in the least bit. Even Thor had confessed to being afraid of a raging Sif.

He tapped his kneecap once, twice, before standing and pacing over to the bed. Wynn was only aware of his presence because the mattress sank slightly with his weight as he sat down on the edge. It was quiet in the room with Wynn still having her face buried away, until Nanook gave a slight whine. Wynn blindly reached out a hand and fumbled around until she found his head, and patted him reassuringly.

"You'll have to uncover your face for air eventually," Loki told her. As if on cue, Wynn reared back and took a huge gulp of air, face red from being slammed into the pillow.

"As amusing as that was," Loki said casually, twisting a small loose thread from the comforter around his finger, "I gather that the little tantrum you just threw wasn't solely for my entertainment."

Wynn gave him a glare and slowly gathered her legs up to her chest. She placed her chin on the warm surfaces of her knees and gave herself a little hug before sighing. Wynn figured that if she was going to throw her personal belongings around the room, she might as well tell him why. That, and it'd feel nice to talk about it for a minute or two.

"The last time I saw my mother we got into a huge fight. All we seem to do is fight. It's always been like that; as far back as I can remember. She would drink and fly into these rages. It was worse whenever Dad was deployed…and it got unbearable after he died. Uncontrollable, really. She was either drinking, drunk, or asleep."

Wynn paused and rubbed Nanook's ear between finger and thumb, as if that would help push the words out. "She promised to get help but she never did. It's a good thing I was self-sufficient by the time her drinking got really out of hand, or the government would have taken me away from her."

She saw Loki furrow his brow and she elaborated, "Our government has the power to take children away from neglectful parents."

"I see," he said, and snapped the thread he had been twisting and un-twisting. He didn't continue after that, and by the way he was staring at her ankles like they were fascinating works of art, she assumed that he couldn't think of anything to say. Wynn was grateful for his silence. The topic drained her.

Nanook, who had been busy watching Loki's hand intently as if it would suddenly produce a treat, got up when his fingers stopped moving. Uninterested, he stepped over Wynn and hopped off the bed clumsily. The mutt wandered out of the room, probably to go pester Thor for a snack. Wynn gave his retreating backside a little wave before turning her attention back to Loki.

Maybe she just liked torturing the guy, but she moved into a subject that would probably make him more lost for words than he already was.

"Anyway, before I forget, I wanted to say thank you."

"What for?"

"Saving me from a violent, bloody death. No big deal, really, I can see why it slipped your mind," Wynn replied. She could practically taste the sarcasm on her own tongue.

While one side of Loki's mouth quirked into a small smile, he said, "I did not save you. I would have gone after the sorceress with or without you, even if just for answers. It just so happened that I had to use violence."

"Ignoring the obvious fact that what you just said is bullshit, how do you know she's a sorceress?" Wynn asked.

"Perhaps sorceress is the wrong word; I only know she is adept in black magic. It was practically wafting off of her in waves."

Wynn met his gaze for a second before chewing on her fingernail in thought.

"Is that why she was so strong? Throwing the car and everything?"

"She may have been able to use a strength spell or a sort of telekinesis, yes. Though I saw the depth of your wounds. It's possible that she may have been strong enough to move the objects simply using brute force," Loki explained. Wynn gaped at him for a second before scrubbing at her face. So the crazy bitch was either a master in black magic or a serious weight-lifter. Either way, it seemed like a miracle that she had even made it out of there alive.

"It seems that whoever we're dealing with is not to be taken lightly. I would relay everything to the others in detail," Loki told her when she remained silent.

Wynn gave him a half-hearted smile, glad that this particular conversation appeared to be almost over. The whole topic made her stomach curl into nervous knots.

"Yeah, so it's a good thing _you saved me_," she said pointedly, and Loki rolled his eyes just a bit.

"In all seriousness, though," Wynn pressed, "She had a loaded gun aimed for my head, Loki. If you hadn't come in when you did, I'd be dead. And I know…I know you don't owe me anything, you could have just let me get my brains blown out-"

"That's madness," he interrupted curtly.

"What is?" she asked.

He stared at her with an unreadable look on his face; it was the kind of look Darcy gave her when she was being incredibly dense. She wondered if she had missed something.

"Nevermind. Just…thank you," Wynn said, dispelling the question. She unfolded her legs and before she could think about it and chicken out, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him. It was natural for her, more habit than anything – she had grown up in a relatively affectionate, touchy-feely family.

But from the way Loki's muscles bunched under her hands like a coil, she could tell that affection was a foreign concept to him. Wynn held on, and after a moment felt his arms slip around her waist to hold stiffly at her back. He wasn't wearing any armor, just a thin black shirt, and she could feel the chill of his skin under the fabric. It felt refreshing against her own skin, which was always warm from the steady thrum of her metabolism.

The change was obvious. Loki suddenly gripped her back, so hard she was sure that there would be bruises left in the shapes of his fingers. It felt like his full weight was pressing on her, leaning into her like he was trying to seep into her bones. Wynn wasn't sure how she had gone from awkwardly hugging him to _holding_ him; it was the cling of someone starved of touch. She knew that feeling well.

Wynn rested her cheek in the soft coolness of his hair and let herself enjoy it for the short moment it lasted – soon enough, he was pulling away, face carefully expressionless.

"You humans are extremely affectionate. I find it odd," he told her, not even looking her in the face as he stood and walked away. Wynn felt like something was constricting in her chest - did he really just blame her for that? Unsure of how to respond, she blurted the first thing she could:

"I'm sorry."

_Crap. _She hadn't meant to apologize...she didn't even know what she was apologizing for. At this point, she was thoroughly frazzled.

Loki paused at the door, hand on the knob, and looked over his shoulder at her.

"I'm not. I'll speak with you later. And dress with some dignity, please."

He slipped from the room and slammed the door, leaving a gaping Wynn in his wake.

'_I'm not?' What is that supposed to mean?_

Wynn flopped back on the bed, spread-eagle, and stared at the ceiling. The smell of peppermint still lingered in her nose, and the responding squeeze in her chest was definitely not platonic.

"What do I do, Daddy?" she asked the empty room. Of course, there was no answer, but it felt good to ask anyway.

* * *

The rest of the day passed quietly. Wynn had dressed in a warm sweater and jeans before heading upstairs. To her surprise, Loki had left a glass of juice for her but was nowhere to be found. Jarvis informed her that he was at the top platform, and that he would alert her if Loki moved positions. Assured of where the mischievous God was, she sat at the table eating a sandwich and fed Nanook her crusts.

It took a while for Loki to come back down, and when he did Wynn was still sitting at the table, reading a book with a strange looking wooden tower in front of her.

Before he could even ask, she said, "It's 'Jenga'. Sit down so I can enjoy my triumph."

Needless to say, Loki beat her every round; Stark and Thor finally joined them after Wynn had started screaming.

It was nearing late afternoon, and by that time Banner had come and sat with them. Wynn had regurgitated the whole story for them all to 'hmm' and 'hum' over. Well, that was Banner's job. Stark just made inappropriate comments and Thor banged his fists on the table in outrage.

"Lady Wynn, we will avenge you!" Thor boomed, and Stark rolled his eyes.

"Stop shouting and make a move."

As Thor tried to navigate a small wooden block from the tower using his bear paws (also called "hands"), Wynn leaned back and asked,

"Where's Darcy and Jane? I would've thought they'd be here playing with us."

"They went with Erik to investigate a hot spot," Banner explained. "Erik detected a disturbance in the atmosphere early this morning and alerted Fury. He sent Nat and Clint with them."

"Wait, you mean _this morning_? Right after I was attacked?" Wynn asked, jerking into an upright position.

"Well, duh, I'm pretty sure that's what – _Jenga!"_ Stark hollered, and Thor gathered the pieces of the fallen tower in his hands, howling, "I will avenge you, Tower of Jenga!"

"Thor, it's a _game _with _wooden blocks_," Loki snapped, "Contain yourself."

"But brother, it is a masterpiece! Look how they were designed to make such a unique design!"

Loki pressed his palm to his forehead and Wynn heard him mutter, "For the love of Valhalla."

"…Anyway, guys, I think we need to start trying to figure out who these people are. At least, I'm assuming there's more than one person lurking around. I'm tired of running around in circles, and now they're getting violent," Wynn said. Banner took off his glasses and folded them in his collar with a sigh.

"We're doing all we can. I ran the blood sample, you know. There was no systematic match. And there are no energy readings we can find since these…people don't emit energy. It's not like the Tesseract, which gave us something to search for. We're sort of in the dark here."

"I-" Wynn began, but not before Jarvis interrupted over the intercom.

"Mr. Stark? Miss Romanoff has contacted. She wishes me to tell Mr. Banner to please prepare himself to help. Miss Foster has been injured."

Suddenly, the entire table rattled as Thor leapt up, hitting the edge with his hip and sending the Jenga pieces everywhere.

"What happened? Where is Jane?" Thor roared, staring up at the ceiling.

"Miss Romanoff did not inform me. The only information I hold is that they were attacked by a hostile force and Miss Foster was injured. They're on their way back as we speak," Jarvis said, before disconnecting.


	14. Wicked Tales

**Once again, the direction of this chapter took me by surprise. But you get a mix of plot and theme, so I feel like it worked out. I hope the ending is sufficiently creepy. :) As always, eternal love for my reviewers and alerters and favoriters. It's not 4ever, it's 5ever.**

**If it makes you feel any better, you finally understand where the title of the story comes from?**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

Thor was like a raging buffalo. At first, Wynn thought he was being relatively calm (for Thor). He had stood silently for a moment when Jarvis disconnected, and she had a brief hope that he was taking it well.

Until he flipped the table.

The wood splintered about a hundred different ways and Wynn ducked as several Jenga pieces flew into the air. Beside her, Loki blocked his face with his forearm, seemingly indifferent.

"He's done this before," he said quietly to her, eyes following his adopted brother as the man thundered off to the elevator.

"What the hell was that? That was one of my best tables!" Stark hollered at Thor's back; the god whirled around and yelled back twice as loudly, "You were the one who assured me that I did not have to accompany them! Had I been there, Jane would be fine!"

"Your _brother_ was with Wynn when she got the shit beat out of her! I don't think it would have mattered," Stark shot back, and Wynn saw Loki stiffen beside her.

"Shut up, Stark!" Wynn snapped, "Jesus, why would you say something like that?"

"Because it's-"

"That's enough!" Rogers' familiar voice cut through the air, and everyone turned their attention to the man standing at the entrance of the elevator. He held the door with his arm, looking none too pleased. "We don't have time to waste. Let's go."

"I didn't even hear the elevator," Banner told him nervously. The conflict and sudden burst of commotion had left him on edge, as anything concerning loss of control did. Wynn saw Stark pat his shoulder reassuringly before pushing past Steve into the elevator. A huffing Thor wasn't far behind, fists clenched hard at his side.

"You two coming?" Steve called, and Wynn waved a hand at him.

"We'll take the next one down. I'm pretty sure you're reaching your weight capacity."

Steve shrugged and let go of the doors, but before they could fully close she heard Stark yell, "Was that a fat joke?"

Wynn rolled her eyes and bent down to start collecting the Jenga pieces, but stopped when she realized it was pointless. The whole area was one giant mess. Straightening back up, she glanced over at Loki, who hadn't attempted to move.

"Stark can be a real ass sometimes," she told him, and he looked to her for a moment, something unreadable in his eyes.

"But he speaks the truth," Loki said, and Wynn shrugged.

"Not the whole truth. We know what really happened and that's the only important thing, right?" She paused and let that sink in before heading to the elevator.

"C'mon, we should go. Help out if we can."

"…I suppose."

* * *

Wynn wasn't sure what she had expected, but it certainly wasn't the chaos that ensued. She and Loki arrived downstairs just as the van pulled into the large parking garage, and Darcy burst from the vehicle before it could even come to a full stop.

From the back of their small group, she could see that Darcy's face was red and bloated with tears. Wynn pushed between Steve and Banner to catch her friend as she buckled to the ground, weeping. There was a splotch of red on her cheek the size of a dime, and Wynn could feel dried blood in her hair. Her stomach churned with fear.

Natasha and Clint dragged a barely conscious Jane from the van, Erik sticking close behind, face drawn with fear. Before they could even get her feet on the ground, Thor snatched the small girl up and into his arms.

"Check her for a concussion, Banner," Natasha said wearily. "We'll have to take care of her arm in the morning."

As Thor brushed past her, she could see the blood that crusted across Jane's forehead, the splatters on her shirt. Her elbow crooked out in an ugly, unnatural angle, and Wynn gripped the back of Darcy's head harder to keep her from looking up.

Banner and Steve followed Thor the wide expanse to the elevator, leaving the rest of them behind, shocked into silence.

"Holy shit," Stark muttered, pushing his hair back.

"Come on," Wynn whispered to Darcy, and dragged her to her feet. Darcy pulled back, face beet red, looking a little more than unstable.

"I'm good, I'm fine," she said, but her voice wobbled dangerously. Wynn squeezed her wrist in an attempt to comfort her, and she could feel the steady race of Darcy's pulse beneath the skin.

"What the hell happened out there?" Stark asked, and Wynn saw his eyes flicker down to the small droplets of blood that had littered the concrete.

Erik sank down to sit on the floorboard of the van, gripping the door as if to keep himself upright.

"It all happened so fast, I couldn't…I was testing the thermal scanner when I heard Jane start screaming," Erik said in a tired voice, obviously drained. Clint gave him one hard pat on the shoulder.

"I was the closest," Darcy said, almost making Wynn jump. She hadn't expected the girl to start talking anytime soon, assuming her shocked into silence.

"It was some woman, like Amazonian-warrior status. She was super tall and her hair was a frickin' rat nest."

Darcy paused and pressed her lips tight together before scratching her wrist nervously.

"I saw Jane go down. That freak grabbed her and threw her into the side of the van. And I swear to God, I – I yelled for Jane and she turned around and…"

By the end of the sentence, Darcy's voice was trembling again, and she looked like she might start crying. Wynn grabbed her by the wrist again and asked softly, "C'mon, Darcy. What? What did you see?"

"She smiled at me. Like she was having the best fucking time of her life, that kind of smile. And all of her teeth were like…_I don't know_, like shark teeth."

"By the time we got there, whoever it was was gone," Natasha said, crossing her arms. The woman looked upset at admitting that they didn't get there in time. Wynn wondered if this was the first time she had failed to stop an attack before it happened. Probably not, but actually declaring it out loud was a definite stab to her sensitive-assassin pride.

"So we've got two connected incidents. What now?" Erik asked warily, as if scared to hear the answer.

"As soon as Jane is able to, we'll sit down and work through this. There's got to be a revealing connection we're missing. After that, I don't know," Wynn said, and Stark scoffed. He had stopped staring at the blood on the floor, but Wynn wished he'd go back to looking down. He almost looked scary, his face twisted in an angry display. Full-on raging alpha lion protecting his pride. That kind of angry.

"That's easy. They've been hunting us. Now we're going to hunt them."

* * *

It was near midnight by the time Wynn had calmed Darcy down enough to convince her to go to her own room. She rode up in the elevator with her and walked her to the door, like a gentleman taking a lady home in the dark.

Darcy held the doorknob in her hand and twisted it slowly, like it would bite her. She started to go in, but then turned back and said quietly, "Wynn, I'm scared. Like really scared because I know as soon as I fall asleep I'll see that smile."

She paused and bit her bottom lip. "Even when New Mexico was getting blown to pieces, I wasn't this scared. Because we don't know who these people are. I feel like…like I'm that one black guy in a horror movie, you know?"

Despite how serious Darcy was being (for once), Wynn couldn't help but to laugh.

"I won't let you get killed first, Darcy."

"That's not funny," Darcy snapped, and Wynn tried to tame her smile, but it didn't quite work.

She cleared her throat and said, "Sorry, sorry, you know I don't mean it. But seriously, I won't let anything happen to you, Dar, I promise. And if you get scared, I'm one floor away. Come get me in the morning and we'll go see Jane."

"Okay," Darcy sighed in defeat, but Wynn could tell that her worry hadn't been eased one bit. Nonetheless, the girl disappeared into her room and shut the door behind her with a muted thud.

Wynn stood there for a moment before heading back to her own room; as she opened the door, Loki came into view. He sat on the couch, feet propped on the glass table in front of him, turning over a book in his hands. Under his feet, Nanook lay dead asleep, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and sticking to the floor.

After their first – rather violent – meeting, the dog had warmed up to the god, and it didn't matter how many times Loki pushed him away in disgust. Wynn remembered the exact day Loki had given in and patted Nanook on his head, acting like it was a chore.

As if reading her mind, Loki said, "The beast is persistent."

"He likes you," Wynn said, yanking off her sweater and throwing it on the bed. She straightened her t-shirt and shrugged. "I mean, he likes everyone, but considering you basically punched him, I'm pretty surprised. I think it was that time you fed him the apricot chicken and thought I didn't notice."

Loki wrinkled his nose.

"It was too sweet. Even Volstagg would have left remains on his plate."

"That's just rude, for one thing, and who's…wait, don't tell me! I remember." Wynn pressed her fingers to her temple, as if looking like a constipated mind reader would help her recall the name.

"Oh!" she half-yelled, "The fat warrior, right?"

Loki stared at her blankly, and then raised his hands to applaud her with a slow clap. Wynn curled her lip at him and blew a raspberry.

"Don't be a smartass. I don't have infinite memory storage like you. And – hey, what's that?" she asked suddenly, and Loki held the book out to her while commenting, "You do realize that you interrupt yourself, correct? That's quite a talent."

"Thanks, I try," Wynn muttered as she took the book from his hand. The brown, crinkly cover felt familiar in her hands. She turned it over, and the words "Wicked Fairytales for Wicked Ones" stared up at her.

"This is my dad's book. Where'd you get it?" she asked.

"It was lying on your dresser?" Loki told her, one eyebrow raised.

"Oh. Right. I forgot I had been reading it a few nights ago."

He snorted as Wynn plopped down beside him on the couch, cracking the worn book open to a random page. She flipped through a couple of pages slowly, Loki peering over her shoulder.

The smell of must drifted up to her, and Wynn almost sighed in contentment. It was a comforting smell; her father had read her a story from the book almost every night, and no matter how he tried to air it out, the musty scent would never leave.

"Is it a children's book?" Loki asked, and Wynn shook her head the tiniest bit.

"In a sense. Some are more appropriate for kids than others. My dad only ever read me the…safer ones. It's full of scary or tragic fairytales. Definitely no 'and the prince married the princess and they lived happily ever after' type crap."

Wynn stopped at page 342, the most memorable page there was. Her fingers ghosted over the faded title, "Seven Years of Winter", and traced the small illustration of the tree that branched off of the 'r'.

"This was my favorite," she murmured. "No matter how many times my dad read it, I would beg him to read it again. It's the only love story in the entire book. Of course, it's a tragedy, but it's the thought that counts."

Loki was quiet for a minute, studying her profile, before saying, "By the look of it, I would guess that you're about to explain it to me whether I ask or not."

"Damn straight," Wynn replied, dimpling one cheek at him. She wasted no time jumping in - she remembered the tale by heart, so she didn't even bother to pretend she was reading.

"So once upon a time, there was a kingdom set in a land where it's perpetually spring. It was beautiful and green; but every century, winter would set in for 7 years. The king had three sons, and the youngest loved to horseback ride. One day, he saw a peasant girl on the outskirts of a small village, picking herbs. He thought she was beautiful, but when he tried to talk to her, she ran. But he persisted, coming back day after day, until she would finally speak with him. Needless to say, because it is a fairytale, they fell in love."

Wynn paused to waggle her brows at Loki, and he waved his hand at her, impatient.

"Okay, okay. So where was I? Yeah, they fell in love. When the king found out, he was furious. He couldn't have his son marry a peasant; it would disgrace the family. He went to the infamous sorceress and paid her in gold and jewels so that she would murder the peasant girl without his son knowing. Like an old-century hitman.

The sorceress tells the king that in a fortnight, on the first day of winter, she will kill the girl. Sure enough, she disguises herself as the prince and finds the girl, waiting in the field as always, while the king distracts his son. The prince appears to the girl as frantic, because he grabs her and tells her that his family knows of their love and won't allow him to see her anymore.

"By midnight, meet me by the tallest oak tree, deep in the woods. We will run away together." Like that doesn't sound suspicious, right? But she agrees, because she loves him more than anything, and does as she's told. Of course, the prince never comes. The girl waits all night, and doesn't move from the tree even when it begins to snow. By the morning, she's so snowed in that her back has frozen to the tree, and by the end of the day, she's dead. Tragic, right?

But the prince is so adamant in believing that she loved him that he assumes her kidnapped or lost, rather than think she has abandoned him. He goes riding out into the forest, despite the king's protests, and searches for her. It's days before he finds her body, only because he sees the scarf he gave her as a gift peeking through the snow nearby.

He's pretty much devastated, and instead of letting her go, he lays down beside her in the snow and lets himself die. You know, the whole "I'd rather die than be without you" thing. The prince never returns to his kingdom, and it's not till seven years later, after spring has returned, before anyone goes searching for a body. And they never found one, because the prince and the girl melded into the tree, locked in an embrace."

Wynn stopped talking and waited for Loki to say something, but he sat silently. Not the reaction she was hoping for. She figured he'd have died with disgust by now.

"The end?" she added.

"There are so many incorrect elements to that story, I don't know where to begin," he finally said. Oh. So he had shut up to criticize it in his mind. Great.

"Loki, you're missing the point. It's a fairytale. Nothing makes sense."

"A prince would never even bother looking at a peasant girl." He sounded slightly offended, as if Wynn had just offered his royal hand a dirty tissue.

"It's. A. _Story. _No, back in ye olde medieval times, or Asgard, if that's where you're getting your information, a prince wouldn't bother with a peasant. But he thinks she's pretty because I don't know, maybe he has a lazy eye or something and couldn't help but notice her. And then they fall in love and it's fairytale love which means it's un-frickin'-breakable, all right? Also, yes, I know dead bodies don't grow into trees but it's supposed to be symbolic of an eternal tomb. Or something."

Loki gave her a deadpan look, and she held up her hands in mock surrender. Tough crowd.

"Sorry you didn't like the story," she muttered, flipping a few pages backwards. Maybe she could find a story that was morbid enough for his tastes. Suddenly, Loki slammed his hand down on the book and Wynn yelped, nearly smacking him in the face. Beneath them, Nanook lifted his head in alarm, tongue dried and stuck to the side of his muzzle.

"What's your problem?" Wynn wheezed. Her thigh was going to have a bruise the size of a grapefruit. Granted, it would go away in five minutes, but still.

"_Look_," he hissed, and pushed the crown of her head down so that she was staring at the page.

_Holy mother._

The illustration was faded, the colors dull, like so many others in the ancient book. But the image was clear. A woman, probably what was considered beautiful in that time, crouched on the chest of a sleeping man. Shadows in the shape of hands crept along the walls of the man's room, reaching for him. But what was actually disturbing was the huge, toothy smile the woman had drawn on her face. Shark teeth.

A small description under the illustration:

"_And thus, having forsaken the old woman's warnings, the man left his dreams unguarded and a succubus crept upon him, mouth full of teeth which she would mash to devour his heart, arms strong so that she may rip the beating thing from his chest."_

"You've got to be kidding me."


	15. Childish Habits

**Okay, I'll admit. This was going to have a lot more plot and a lot less Loki/Wynn time, but I just couldn't leave this idea alone. There'll be a plot explosion next chapter. As always, many thanks from me to you guys!**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC, the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

Wynn let her head hang between her knees while Loki flipped through the story, skimming the words.

"This is so fucked up," she muttered. She couldn't seem to grasp any tangible thought; her mind was racing a mile a minute. Things like this weren't supposed to exist. She had had a hard enough time accepting that Loki and Thor were real, along with Asgard and all of the other realms. Now this? Succubi were demons, a total fabrication of folklore.

There was just no way.

"In Asgard, we do not have such creatures," she heard Loki say above her. Wynn drummed her fingertips against the back of her calves for a second before straightening back up.

"No, they're not – they're not _creatures_," Wynn told him. The small tremble in her voice didn't go unnoticed by either of them, she was sure. "I don't know that much, but I know that they're demons. Demonic entities that prey on sleeping humans. You wouldn't have them in Asgard because they were recognized and titled by Christians, way back in medieval times. There are different versions of them in different cultures; I know that, but the succubus…"

When she trailed off, Loki prompted her, "What?"

She sighed and gently pried the book from his hand. It seemed heavy in her grasp.

"Succubi prey on men and have…relations with them in their dreams. It was said that they seduced humans, slept with them, and through that drained their life and revealed their true form. So when they woke up, the demon was crouching on their chest and they couldn't move. And then-"

"They were devoured," Loki cut her off and leaned back, as casually as if he were talking about the weather. "Interesting."

"Um, Loki, I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation."

Wynn shook the book at him and he batted it away.

"Look, maybe we should read the story," Wynn continued. "I mean, I highly doubt that there's a connection to these freaks from outer space, but the, uh…the resemblance is a little uncanny."

"Let me ask you something," he said, crossing his arms.

_Oh, God. This should be good, _Wynn thought, and a small thrill of apprehension ran through her belly.

"Huh?"

"Do you recall showing me the book of ancient Norse mythology?" Loki asked.

"Yeah. And you threw a hissy fit because it said you gave birth to a horse."

"Don't mention it," he spat, and Wynn held up her hands in mock surrender. Apparently being thought of as the mother to an eight-legged horse didn't sit well with Loki.

"As I was saying, the basic elements were correct. The Bifrost, the names and abilities of the Gods. This proves that the mortals interacted with us at some point in time," he explained.

"True," Wynn said, intrigued to what he was getting at. If anyone could dig through a mystery, she'd give the job to Loki.

"_So,_" he stressed, as if was obvious, "Perhaps mortals encountered this race at one time, and assumed what they could."

That took a second to sink in, and she was sure that Loki could see the cogs turning in her head. If Norse mythology was steeped in some crack-pot of truth, did that mean that other folklore and mythology was as well? Wynn considered the question for a moment, and looked down to the book, unsure. She opened it back up to the page with the picture of the succubus and stared at the snarled grin, the sharpened fingers.

"That night, the night with the woman, did she have clawed hands?" Wynn asked, her voice breaking. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

"Her fingernails were sharp, if that's what you mean," Loki replied.

She added up the evidence in her head – the teeth, the hands, the strength. The only thing that didn't seem to follow the basic folklore was the motive. There was only one reported incident of homicide that even remotely matched succubi behavior, and even then, it certainly wasn't exact. The man who was murdered had been walking home, fully awake and aware. When she voiced this aloud, Loki pressed his hand to his face and rubbed his upper lip in thought.

"The motive is Odin," he said after a few moments of contemplation, sounding grim. Wynn scrunched her brow, not understanding.

"What does your father have to do with this? If they want him, why are they here, after us?"

"Not my father. Thor's," he corrected, but before Wynn could get a word in edgewise to that, he continued, "But they don't know that. The woman called me by Odinson. As for what they could want with the Allfather, I'm not sure."

"Another question for the never ending list. Should we be writing this down?" Wynn asked dryly, and he cracked a sardonic grin.

"We'll review tomorrow. For now, you should get some rest. It's nearing early morning."

Wynn looked up to the sleek metal clock and found that he was right – it was already 1:30. Sighing, she threw the book onto the coffee table and stood. She was tired, and worried for Jane, for everyone in the tower. It was almost impossible to think about what they may have just discovered, and even harder to think about how they'd convince everyone else. Though, she figured that Jane and Darcy would vouch for them. The naked fear she had seen in Darcy's eyes proved that.

Wynn walked Loki to the door, and clung to her own arms in a little hug. She could feel goosebumps rising on her skin, the little hairs standing up to meet the chill in the air.

"Should you need anything, I'm not far," Loki told her as he opened the door. For some reason, that eased the knot of anxiety that had coiled in her stomach. Having him on her side reassured her in a way that no amount of man-made weaponry or security could.

"That makes me feel better," Wynn said, meaning it. "So what happens if I do need you? If it turns into World War Three or something, alien edition."

Loki smiled at her then, and it was free of any sarcasm or mockery. Maybe that's what made his next words so completely frightening.

"I'll rip their throats out," he told her, and something simmered right under the surface of his voice. It sounded a lot like force – not a threat, but a promise. So quickly that she didn't even see his hand move, he reached out his pointer finger and ran it down the side of her arm. It was just a ghost, a skimming of the tiny raised hairs on her skin.

And then he was gone, leaving her standing there shivering in her freezing room.

She felt more at ease than she had in a long, long while.

* * *

It was nearing four a.m. when Wynn rolled out of her bed and shuffled to the bathroom, bladder swollen. With all the commotion, she had completely skipped her normal nightly ritual. She fumbled around for the light switch and found it after a few tries, grumbling to herself. By the time she had gone to the bathroom and scrubbed her hands, she felt sleepy, but didn't particularly feel like she could go back to bed. Something felt off, like she was just getting over the stomach flu. Just not…right.

Wynn rubbed the sleep from her eyes and decided that she'd read for a little bit, hoping that would shake off the feeling. Maybe she had had a nightmare that she couldn't remember – distracting herself usually worked to rid of any depression or eerie leftovers that dreams gave her. She left the bathroom light on so that she could find her way to the main lightswitch. When she flicked it on, she had to squint for a minute to adjust to the sudden brightness.

Had she not stood there letting her eyes regulate, she probably would have never noticed it at all. But she did, and when her vision was normal, she headed over to the coffee table, searching for her father's book.

Wynn stuttered to a stop, hand outstretched, not sure if she was correct or not.

The book wasn't there.

_I didn't move it, did I? _she asked herself, pacing closer to the table. She stared down at where she had rested the book, right before Loki had left, as if that would make the object reappear. There she saw it – against the clear, spotless surface of the glass, there was a long strand of hair. Wynn pinched it between finger and thumb, picking it up. It was long, longer than her hair, and pitch black. Not hair that matched anyone in the tower.

Calmly, almost serenely, she lay the strand of hair back down, walked over to her bed, and picked up her pillow. Stuffing it against her chest, she strolled out of her room and clicked the door shut behind her. Wynn stood there for a moment, in the dark of the hallway, before turning on her heel and sprinting the length to Loki's room as if someone had just lit a fire to her ankles.

"_Loki!" _she hissed, and pounded the door. She jiggled the handle frantically, as if that would help, and just as she was about to invite herself in, the door swung open. Only the light beside his bed was on, but that illuminated his figure enough to see that he was half-naked and grumpy.

"What?" he muttered, running a hand through a case of serious bed head. Which, she had to admit, looked really, _really _good on him. But she was only momentarily distracted by his hair and the long, white expanse of his torso before she shoved past him, into the room.

"Close the door!" she whispered, and he did so, probably more to shut her up than anything.

"They're messing with us," she said, gripping her pillow hard. "I put the book on the coffee table and now it's gone."

"That doesn't necessarily-"

"I found a strand of hair. You tell me who in this tower has long, black, straight hair, and I'll stop freaking out."

That actually threw him for a second, before he shrugged it off.

"I feel nothing. There's no lingering presence. They must have only taken the book and left."

Wynn groaned in frustration, and flopped down on the bed. For a second, she felt slightly embarrassed, like she was overreacting. And maybe she had, because it wasn't as if she had been put in any immediate danger. But still - just the thought of one of those freaks being in her room, beside her sleeping body...it sent chills up her spine.

"How are you this calm?" she asked. "There're demonic entities messing with us and you're like _'no big deal'_…well, that wasn't a very good impersonation of you, but you get the point."

"That was actually an appalling impersonation of me, and I'm this calm because they serve no threat to me. I don't fear anyone until I'm given a reason to," he said, sitting down beside her. He leaned his elbows on his knees, and she could see the muscles in his back swim with the movement. He was like a well-oiled machine –each action was fluid and melded into the next perfectly. The guy could be hacking up a lung and look regal doing it.

The sharp curves of his face were illuminated by the small bedside light, and she could see no worry in his expression, no apprehension. It frustrated her, that he was this unruffled while she felt near sick with fret.

Well, I'm worried. I'm worried to death about what _else_ these freaks will do and what they want. I'm scared they're going to hurt people past being fixable. We've been lucky, till now. If these things are serious, about causing us pain…you heard that woman. She told you that you didn't know pain yet."

"Then they're ignorant fools. If they have half of the power they claim, then they've only being using cheap tricks." He twisted around to stare at her, and the soft light of the room illuminated the blue of his eyes. "They're _trying _to scare you. You won't allow them that, will you?"

Wynn hesitated, and twisted a stray lock of hair around her finger before sighing.

"I guess not. But I don't care what you say, I'm not going to stop worrying for them," she paused, and met his eyes again. "Or you."

His throat tightened, but the expression in his eyes was unreadable.

"We have a lot to do tomorrow. I would get back to sleep," he said, turning away.

"All right. Which side of the bed do you sleep on?" she asked, fluffing her pillow.

"I'm sorry?"

"Which side of the bed do you sleep on, left or right?"

He gave her a perplexed look and replied, "The left, normally, but-"

"Okie doke," Wynn said, and threw her pillow behind her. Loki watched as she wormed her way up the bed, throwing the existing pillow to the floor and replacing it with her own.

"I feel like I shouldn't ask, but what do you think you're doing?" she heard Loki say from the other side.

"Going to sleep. You didn't say I had to be in my room."

"Don't act a child," he hissed, sounding put-off that she had twisted his words.

"Hey, you can sleep in my room if you want. You can deal with shit moving around on its own better than I can."

She got no reply except for the soft '_click_' of the lamp as he turned it off, and the room was cast into darkness. The mattress sank very slightly with his weight as he climbed in on the other side, about a mile away.

_Success is mine, _she thought to herself with a small grin. Now that she was certain he wasn't going to drag her out by her feet, she wrestled the covers from under her body and yanked them to her chin.

"If something moves and it's not you doing it, don't wake me up," she muttered, and he made a noncommittal sound of approval that probably meant "okay, just go the fuck to sleep".

The room was quiet then, and Wynn had to listen hard to hear the light sound of his breathing. That was entertaining for a minute, but then she sighed and rolled over onto her back. When that didn't feel right, so rolled to the other side and stared at the back of Loki's head, which she could now see with her eyes adjusted.

Sigh, roll back over.

Adjust covers.

Fluff pillow.

"If you don't still yourself and go to sleep, I'm taking you to the top of this building and leaving you as bait," Loki grumbled sleepily.

"My bad," Wynn whispered, and wiggled a little in place, "Normally I have Nanook to cuddle with, but the traitor is with Thor."

He didn't say anything to that, so she settled for staring at the ceiling, missing the mass of fur that pawed her in the face while she slept. Ever since she was young, she always slept with something stuffed into her arms. There was no shame in admitting that she still held her old giraffe toy until she was 23 years old, and then that just got replaced with Nanook. It was one of the only childish habits she still possessed, so she figured she could afford one silly tendency.

Gnawing her lip, she shifted back the other way and considered Loki for just a second before realizing what she was even thinking was ridiculous. He'd elbow her in the nose if she even tried.

_But you would hardly feel it anyway, _a small part of her mind whispered, and she pushed her hands to her face in frustration. She hated making decisions – or maybe she was just a complete coward.

_I'm not a child. _

It took her a good thirty minutes, but finally she drifted into sleep, arms clenched around herself to mock a grip on something. But childhood habits are not called _habits_ for anything; after she dozed off, she gradually migrated across the bed, to the breathing source of cool presence that her skin, always burning, seemed to crave.

* * *

A barrage of knocks on the door jolted Wynn into consciousness, eyes popping open. Her eyelashes brushed against something solid, and within a few heartbeats she understood exactly what it was. The night before came flooding back into her mind, and apparently, despite telling herself that she'd stay on her side, she had drifted over anyway. Of course, "drifted over" was perhaps the biggest understatement of the year. Wynn had latched onto Loki like a leech, face smushed between his sharp shoulder blades, her outer arm snaked around his ribs.

"Wynn! Get up! You're either in there or kidnapped!"

_Shit. Darcy._

"I would go see what she wants before she breaks the door down," she heard Loki mutter, half-asleep. A sharp burst of heat exploded over her cheeks when she heard his voice. She couldn't decide if her currect situation was more awkward or embarrassing - probably a lethal combination of both.

Before she had time to dwell on it, Wynn detangled herself from Loki and heaved herself off the bed, stumbling slightly in her dash to the door. Flinging it open, she met Darcy's surprised face and nearly collided with her fist as she squeezed from the room.

"Are you okay? Why were in his room? You forgot to meet me this morning, you know. Also, why do you look like you just got caught doing something you shouldn't have? Dude. What _were _you doing?"

Darcy's questions followed Wynn all the way down the hall to her room, where she stopped to change her clothes. Wynn started flinging items from her dresser while Darcy plopped down on her bed.

"I was creeped out last night. Which reminds me, I have a lot to explain to you. And I'm so sorry I forgot to meet you, I was super tired and didn't have my alarm. Does that answer your questions?" Wynn said, ducking into the bathroom to slip on a bra and new shirt.

"Mostly. You missed the one where I asked what you were doing," she heard Darcy say, and Wynn popped back out, face as neutral as she could make it (though she could feel the blush sitting on her cheeks).

"Sleeping," Wynn replied, throwing off her pajama shorts and yanking on a pair of jeans.

Darcy raised her eyebrows in a certain display of disbelief and asked, "Sleeping or sleeping _with_?"

Wynn sputtered and snapped, "Not with. Jesus, I don't – stop looking at me like that, you freak!"

"What_ever_."

"Anyway," Wynn muttered, "How's Jane?"

Darcy looked down to her nails and scraped off a bit of green polish absently. "She's good. She had a pretty clear head when she woke up. Thor and Erik took her in for an early appointment to get her arm fixed. I bet Thor's foaming at the mouth by now."

Wynn shook her head, imagining a protective Thor looming over the poor doctor who was assigned to splint Jane's arm.

"I feel bad for whoever's on call. What time is it, anyway?" Wynn asked, and Darcy squinted at the neon blue watch she wore on her wrist.

"A little past eight. Why?"

"Here's the game plan," Wynn said, slipping on one of the heaviest hoodies she owned, "We'll get breakfast and then we're heading to the Manhattan library. We've got some digging to do."

"Oh, are we pulling a Nancy Drew?" Darcy bounced up, suddenly five times more excited than she was the moment before.

"You could say that. If Nancy Drew dealt with demonic entities," Wynn told her, and Darcy stilled, most likely trying to figure out if Wynn was serious or not.

As Wynn walked from the room, Darcy yelled, "Wait, Wynn, did you just say demonic entities? You didn't, right? _Right? _Wynn!"

* * *

Wynn stuck her head into Loki's room, grateful to not have Darcy breathing down her neck. After a lot of reassuring and some threatening, she had finally gotten the girl to head for the kitchen and make breakfast.

"Hey, Loki? You awake?" she asked softly, slipping into the room. Said god had rolled over onto his stomach, and the covers had slipped down far enough the Wynn could see the two indentations on the small of his back. She stood there, unsure of whether she should go shake him or just call his name. The longer she stood there, the weirder she felt, like she was just watching him sleep. Which she was doing, technically, but...

"I am," he said suddenly, and her heart jumped.

"Damn! You could have answered me sooner!" she huffed, lifting a hand to her chest. He turned his head to the side to look at her, and in that moment he looked decidedly human. Sure, he was still gorgeous, but there was a huge red mark across his forehead from the pillow, and one lock of hair stuck straight up in defiance. Wynn literally had to press her hand to her mouth to keep from laughing.

"Don't be so jumpy," he told her. Raising to his forearms, he arched his back until it cracked and then sighed.

_Okay, it's time to go, because this guy is way too hot in the morning, _Wynn thought frantically, and flapped her hands as if that would shake out the sudden tightness in her abdomen.

"Well, Darcy is making breakfast, then we're going to the library to look for books on demons, and Jane's at the doctor right now, and okay, bye."

Before he even had time to agree with her or reply at all, she was already slamming the door. Had he asked her why she rushed out, she would have blamed it on being hungry or something equally ridiculous. But in truth, it was because she couldn't stop staring at the two small dimples by his tailbone, nor could she stop thinking about how his skin had felt against hers.


	16. Bookshelves

**Asjkajakjasa this chapter was being so stubborn. Fuh. Okay, so a couple things. One, xLettuce made more amazing fanart for the story, and the "link" to that can be found in my profile. Two, a few people have been wondering if I could do another Loki POV again. Which makes me nervous, but I can try, so expect that next chapter. I guess that's it! Thank you all SO MUCH. The reviews are always so kind and helpful.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

By the time Wynn got to the kitchen, Darcy had already managed to burn one batch of pancakes and was working on splattering the next one all over the marble counters.

"My god, Darcy!" Wynn cried, prying the spatula from Darcy's incapable hands, "Are you trying to flip them or murder them?"

"If you lean in close enough, you can hear the chocolate chips screaming," the girl retorted dryly, moving aside to let Wynn attempt to save breakfast. Darcy drenched a dish cloth and began wiping up the pancake batter she had sent flying all over the counter.

"At least it's chocolate chip this time and not banana. You asshole," Wynn muttered, cranking the heat of the griddle down, and Darcy rolled her eyes.

"You've got to let it go. How was I supposed to know you were allergic? Besides, I dragged myself to the CVS in slippers to get you Benadryl."

"Darcy. I had to pay you five dollars to do that."

"Well, yeah, but I'm a douche."

"Agreed," Wynn sighed, and Darcy slapped her once on the back before exiting the kitchen, hollering that she'd be waiting at the table.

"Freeloader," Wynn grumbled to herself. "I bet she tried to ruin it all on purpose so I'd do it."

She fiddled with a stray lock of hair that had escaped from its bun while she waited for the other side of the pancakes to brown. The day ahead was going to be a long one, but it was easier to pretend that this was all there was to life. Chocolate chip pancakes, her friends, and Loki. If Loki counted as a part of her life.

That gave her pause, and her mind started to run off in a completely different direction – did he even want to be a part of her life after this whole problem was solved? Did _she _want _him _to be? What the hell had happened last night, anyway? The questions made her nervous, because frankly, they felt very "relationship-ish" and there was _no way _that would happen.

Loki was a god, brimming with mass intelligence and…less than positive outlooks on Midgard. She was a mutated freak whose only talents were baking and being able to touch her nose with her tongue.

_Well, that's depressing. The dying screams of chocolate chips were a happier thought, _Wynn said to herself, and flipped one of the pancakes a little harder than necessary. It popped off of the spatula and went flying somewhere behind her.

"Shit!" she cursed, whirling around, successfully bumping into Loki's outstretched arm. She gasped and held up the spatula in defense, which Loki regarded with one raised brow. In his hand was the thrown pancake; he tossed it to the side, and Wynn heard it thump into the trash can.

"_That's _threatening," he said, placing one finger on the spatula and pushing it away from her chest.

"You're a show off. I could have picked it up and put it in the trash myself, you know. And _stop _scaring me. Seriously, I think I'm developing high blood pressure," Wynn all but rasped.

"You blame me, but you wouldn't be constantly frightened if you paid more attention," he said as she turned away to flip the rest of the pancakes frantically, not wanting to burn another batch. "And I thought that Miss Lewis was preparing the food."

"Yeah, but she was doing a pretty crap job. So I took over," Wynn explained, shuffling the pancakes to the plate Darcy had been thoughtful enough to leave (for once).

"You seem to be quite good at that," Loki commented casually, crossing his arms and leaning back against the counter.

Wynn paused from picking up the plate and narrowed her eyes at him, hands hanging mid-air.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked suspiciously.

"Considering you managed to possess the entire bed and nearly push me off. You also kick in your sleep and babble about that beast of yours," he said, examining his nails as if they were suddenly the most fascinating things in the world. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, giving her the "yes, I realize what happened last night and you're not avoiding it" face.

Wynn could feel the blood rush to her face, and she snatched up the plate, spinning on her heel. It didn't matter what he was trying to get at – she refused to discuss the night before. She was already embarrassed enough as it was.

"Yeah, well…you snore," she snapped, and from behind her, she heard Loki laugh, a deep sound that sent a warm quiver crawling up her spine.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're extremely bad at lying, Wynn?" he asked, but she treated the question like it was rhetorical and opted to just roll her eyes instead.

"Are you eating with us?" she asked, turning back long enough to get an answer.

He shook his head slightly and pushed off of the counter.

"Just come to the reading room when you've finished. I'd rather not start my morning by listening to that girl prattle," he said.

"All right, I won't be long. Oh, and don't be mean. Darcy's just – well, she just…never mind."

With a wave over her shoulder, Wynn headed out of the kitchen and down the small set of marble stairs that led to the dining room. Darcy sat at the long glass table, tapping her fork against her plate as she bobbed to some song on her iPod.

"_Hey,_" Wynn called, much louder than normal, and Darcy jerked the buds from her ear with a start.

"Woah, dude, I hear you. Hey, are those non-burnt pancakes?"

"You doubt me, Darcy," Wynn said, setting the plate down in front of her, "Now start shoveling so we can go."

Darcy picked one of the pancakes up with a sheepish grin and started pulling it apart, not looking at Wynn as she sat down.

"Well, that's the thing. I can't go," Darcy mumbled, and Wynn almost choked on her own spit.

"Why not?" Wynn asked, voice strangled.

"Jane texted me, and trust me, it was hard to decipher past all the typos. Apparently she and Thor are still stuck in the waiting room, which blows. She wants me to go calibrate all of her machines so we can go and get energy readings after she gets back," Darcy explained through a mouth full of pancake.

"Fine, I'll ask Banner to go then."

"He's with Stark testing some new weapon. Stark has been going crazy with all the inventing. We're going to have a full arsenal of dangerous untested weapons if we get into a fight. And before you ask, Cap went with them to keep Stark under control."

"Clint? Natasha?"

"Patrolling."

Wynn groaned and let her face drop to her palms.

"What's wrong?" Darcy asked. "I thought you'd be happy to go alone with-"

"Don't you dare even finish that sentence," Wynn snapped, cutting her off. She threw a pancake onto her plate and starting cutting at it furiously until it was just a mass of pancake confetti. Darcy watched the violent attack with a slightly scared look on her face.

"You know, you wouldn't be this angry unless something super awkward happened last night. And we all know that nothing super awkward happened last night, right? Huh? Wynn? Hm?"

"Just shut up and eat your stupid pancakes," Wynn mumbled, stuffing a forkful of shredded food into her mouth. Darcy just smiled and said, more to herself than anything,

"That's what I thought."

* * *

Wynn and Loki set out on foot for the library after she had fed Nanook and scrounged up her old library card. Wynn would have suggested taking a car, but Stark kept his keys hidden, and the only thing that prevented Wynn from searching for them was the fear of what she'd find on the way. Stark was weird – who knew what he had stashed around the tower?

Looking back, though, maybe she should have risked it.

The wind practically lifted her off her feet and she wanted to slap herself for not wearing a coat. It was nearly mid-November, and by now the weather had cooled into something fierce. However, Loki walked beside her in nothing but a thin dress shirt and black pants, looking perfectly at ease.

"How are you not freezing?" she stuttered, pushing her hands harder into the pocket of her sweatshirt.

"The cold had no effect on me. My lineage makes sure of that," he told her, dodging a woman that came bustling by.

He bumped into Wynn slightly, and that alone was enough to make another shiver wrack through her. Normally, the coolness of him was refreshing, but not when everything around her was practically giving her frostbite.

"So what do you look like as a Jotunn, if you don't mind my asking?"

Even though she appraoched the question as casually as she could, one glance told her that Loki had stiffened, but at least he gave her a reply.

"There's not much difference. Save for becoming blue, I suppose."

That caught her attention, and for a moment she forgot the fact that she was dying from hypothermia.

"_Blue?_" she said, and he looked at her gaping at him from the corner of his eye.

"Yes. It's revolting," he spat, and then bitterly added, "Which I suppose is fitting for a monster."

"_Hey,_" Wynn stopped short and snatched him by the elbow; she pulled him to the side, out of the flow of people. "Don't give me that shit. I hate it when you say things like that. Just because you were taught that the Jotunn are monsters doesn't make it true. I bet the mom frost giants tell their kids about the scary Asgardians. Besides, I bet you look bad-ass when you're blue. Okay?"

She gave his arm a small shake before letting it go, but didn't break from the eye contact she had managed to grasp. The look of muted surprise on his face was priceless, but more than that, the rawness. He looked like she had just slapped him.

"I'll give you this," he said finally, after a long stretch of tense silence, "You are perhaps the most honest creature I've met in my life. And I have yet to acclimate."

"Um…thank you? Wait, was that a compliment?"

"I'll let you decide that one," he told her, before taking her by the wrist and pulling her back into the crowd.

It wasn't long before they arrived in front of the library. Wynn gazed up at the tall white steps and the pillars, awed as she always was. Loki didn't seem nearly as impressed, but Asgard was probably full of amazing architecture, so that was a given.

"I'm already apologizing to my thighs," she muttered as they started up the steps. The hike wasn't nearly as awful as she remembered, and soon enough they were passing under the domed marble, into the lobby. Not much had changed. The lighting was still warm against the tall walls, with the murals staring down from the fluted ceiling.

"So," Loki said, "Where do we begin?"

"…Um. I would try and find a computer, but I sort of forgot how huge it was. Let me just ask."

Wynn flitted back the way they had come and to the reception desk, where she asked a sour looking woman where to find the folklore section.

"Take the stairs to the left, back section," the woman rasped, and Wynn back away with a strangled smile.

"Thanks," she said before motioning Loki to the staircase. She could hear the noise of the crowded lobby fade as they headed up the marble stairs and onto the second floor. It was a long stretch of aisle way, the bookcases reaching up nearly to the ceiling.

"She said it was to the back. Which I assume is that creepy alcove way back there in the corner."

"How fitting," Loki commented dryly.

As they got further to the niche, it seemed to get dustier and slightly darker. It was obvious that this section wasn't visited much.

"All right," Wynn said, staring up at the shelves that frequented the back wall, "Start looking for anything that mentions demons, Christian folklore, blah blah."

They began to pull books from the shelves, flipping through them, staring at tables of contents and glossaries for any mention of succubi. It took nearly an hour to accumulate a small stack of ancient, dusty books between them.

"Do you believe this will be enough?" Loki asked, dusting his hands off as he glanced down at the pile.

"Yeah, I guess, but I see a really good one up there; the encyclopedia. Look."

She pointed a good thirteen shelves above her head, which was far enough that even Loki had no hope of reaching it. It would require a ladder, which this section didn't seem to have. Wynn huffed and asked him, "Can you just abracadabra it down here?"

"I could. But that would not be nearly as amusing."

Wynn glared at him after she grasped what he was getting at.

"You've got to be kidding," she muttered, and when he just continued to stand there staring at her, she let out a groan.

"You are," she snapped, nudging a book to the side with her toe, "by far," she found a foothold, and heaved herself up, "the worst person ever."

Loki watched (rather smugly, she might add) as she fumbled her way up the bookshelves like some sort of awful rock climber. Wynn shoved books in several different directions, creating spots where she could put her hands and feet. When she finally reached the shelf that held the encyclopedia, her hands and clothes were covered with a thick layer of dust and she was a good twenty feet or so off of the ground.

"Here," she grunted, flipping the heavy book off the shelf and into Loki's waiting hands. He placed it onto the top of the pile and stared up at her with a small smirk.

"I hate you," she called down, looking at him under her armpit.

"I realize," he called back up, and then opened his arms. "Come on, then. I'll catch you."

Wynn nearly broke her neck shaking her head. "No way. No way in hell. If I let go of this stupid bookcase, I'll be face-planting."

"Your small amount of trust wounds me," Loki told her, mock hurt in his voice. "Let go."

Wynn huffed and stared at the books in front of her. She knew it was bad when trying to blindly climb down book shelves was probably the safer option. But hey, why not? If he didn't catch her, it'd just give her an excuse to punch him in that haughty face. Twisting her torso, she threw an arm back and grasped the shelf, slowly rotating her way to face outwards. Was it just her, or did it seem like she was suddenly a lot higher than before?

"I swear to God…" she muttered, and then pushed away from the bookcase. The drop was fleeting and sent her stomach into her throat, sort of like trying to jump from a steepened roof. There was barely time for any air to rush by her ears before she fell into the circle of Loki's arms, a small puff of shock escaping her lips. She gripped the muscles in his shoulders hard enough to turn her knuckles white, but he didn't even seem to notice.

"There," he said, setting her down, "As I told you."

Wynn stumbled to the side and began brushing the dust from her clothes, grumbling something incomprehensible.

"What was that?" Loki asked.

"I said, you're carrying the books back to the tower."

* * *

By the time they arrived back to the tower, it was nearing late afternoon, and all of its occupants had returned. The two found most of the group up near the bar; only Clint and Natasha seemed to be missing.

"Hey, guys!" Darcy called, spotting them first. "About time. Wynn, c'mere, you can draw on Jane's sling."

Wynn paced over while Loki sat the stack of books on Stark's new table with a thump, listening to the chorus of greetings and Stark's yell of "Wynny, you're back from Ashdown Forest!" She ignored that one simply because she was in a generous mood.

"How're you feeling, Jane?" Wynn asked, giving the girl a careful hug. Her arm was propped by a heavy sling and there was a row of stitches at her forehead, but she had on a bright smile.

"Pretty good. Darcy told me about the library. What did you guys find?"

Wynn glanced at Loki, and then back to the rest of the expectant faces.

"Ah, well. We have something to discuss with you guys."

"About the people that have been after us?" Steve asked, picking up on the hesitant tone in her voice.

"Yeah, about them. Last night, Loki and I were looking through this book my dad gave to me. It's a book of folklore and fairytales, and there's – well, I don't really know how to say it. I'd show you, but the book was sort of…stolen."

"What do you mean 'stolen'?" Banner wondered, and Wynn rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

"I mean, sometime in the middle of the night, it just disappeared. And I found a strand of hair on the coffee table that must definitely does not belong to any of us."

"Son of a bitch!" Stark yelled, slamming his glass down. "Another security breach? You've got to be kidding me. Why didn't you say something?"

"It was four in the morning, Stark, and I didn't want to scare anyone. But it's obvious by now that they can get in here without anyone noticing. They wanted the book, they took it."

"Jarvis," Stark called, "Employ the back-up security and reset all of the passwords."

"Already working on it, sir," Jarvis replied, and Loki shook his head in annoyance.

"It matters little what you do," the god said, and Stark gave him a hard glare.

"And why is that?"

"Because we think these things are demonic entities, straight out of folklore. That's what we went to the library to get. Books on succubi," Wynn told him, not wanting any tempers to rise.

The stares she got in return were certainly not encouraging. Darcy held out her hands and sputtered, "Wait, wait, you mean those demons that have sex with people in their sleep and eat them? Like a 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' type deal?"

"It seems Midgardian folklore is based in truth, but there are elements that become skewed," Loki told her, "We'll have to pull the truth from collections of musings and false beliefs."

"So these creatures, they are after the women?" Thor asked, grabbing Jane's good arm protectively.

"No, in legend, succubi seduce men and then devour them," Wynn explained, "But according to Loki, it's possible that Jane and I are just stepping stones. The next targets would be you and him, then Odin."

"Our father?" Thor said, looking at Loki, perplexed. "What does he have to do with any of this madness, brother?"

Wynn could see Loki's jaw clench at the term, but he responded, "I'm not entirely certain. The night Wynn was attacked, the creature spoke of the Allfather and of causing myself pain. We and all of our connections seem to be pawns."

"This is wrecked," Darcy squeaked, and Jane patted the girl's hand reassuringly, though she seemed more than a little anxious herself.

"Loki and I will start going through the books and figuring out what we can," Wynn offered, and Thor opened his mouth to say something before Stark yelled loudly,

"I've got it! Jarvis, get Pepper on the phone!" He bounded out from behind the bar and began walking backwards toward the elevator. "I'd start shopping for some fancy wear, ladies," he called, "Because we're having a party."


	17. Belief

**Loki was being so stubborn, and this whole chapter was being stubborn, and I hope it's not total crap. The only redemption I can hope for is in the Loki/Wynn moment, which is in third-person Loki as requested, and oh God, I hope I didn't completely mess up Loki's character and reaction. -dying whale noise- **

**I guess I should give a religious warning. I dunno if any religion topics offend anyone, but there it is. The story of Lilith and Adam is based off what I've studied in folklore and myths.**

**One more thing - Broken-Rose-Thornesxoxo drew a comic for the story and it is hilarious and yes. The URL is in my profile. :)**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

Stark was distracted for the rest of the day, calling Pepper numerous times, rushing back and forth to the bar to supply himself with drinks. Eventually, everyone gave up on asking what was going on in that head of his and just watched the frenzy. The group broke their separate ways after dinner, except for Loki and Wynn. He sat impatiently, watching her eat.

"Sorry," Wynn said, stuffing a piece of chicken in her mouth, "I'm a slow eater."

"I believe we should begin searching through the books soon," he said, and then leaned back to peek under the table. "If the beast drools anymore, he'll be drowning."

Wynn looked down, and Nanook gazed up at her hopefully, heavy head propped on her knee. There was a large wet patch of drool on her jeans, with even more leaking down to the floor.

"Well, he's a Saint Bernard, they're supposed to drool. Like, a lot. Personally, I think it's kind of cute."

She picked up the chunk of chicken she had saved for him and handed it over, which he gobbled so fast she had to check to see if all of her fingers were still there.

"All right, I'm ready. C'mon, Nanook, you can come with us. You've been hanging out with Uncle Thor so much I'm beginning to think that you don't love me anymore," she said, standing. She helped Loki gather up the books and called a good-bye to Stark; he mumbled a reply, too busy scribbling something down as Pepper recited information through the phone.

The reading room was cozy, as always. That one had been purely Pepper's idea, avid reader that she was. It was like a personal library, books stacked high in the glossy shelves, plush couches spread around the room. Stark had even allowed a fake fire, lit by gas, and where the heat ventilated was a mystery.

"It's really scary how he does that," Wynn said nervously, looking at the blue flames. "This whole tower keeps on surprising me. The first week I was in the shower and when I stepped out there was a robot handing me my towel."

"I possessed one of those as well," Loki said absentmindedly as he pulled a random book from the stack. "But it was irksome, so I destroyed it."

"Where'd you hide the body?" Wynn asked, plopping down beside him.

"Beneath the sink." He glanced over at the book she had in her hands and smirked. "Such a fine first choice."

Wynn cracked the encyclopedia open with a snort. "Thanks, I had to work hard for this one. Almost fell to my death, no big deal."

"Dramatics," Loki deadpanned, swishing his hand through the air to clear the dust that had floated up from the book. "You act as though I wouldn't have caught you."

"I know, I'm just kidding; I believe in you. I would still be stuck up on that bookcase if I didn't," Wynn glanced down at the table of contents, and then back up when she felt Loki's eyes on her.

"What?" she asked, only to find that his gaze was not on her but the book in her hands.

"Hm? There, page 420. It mentions incubi. That is the male counterpart, is it not?"

"Oh, right," she said, flipping to the page. A few turns into the chapter and the topic of the succubus was brought up. The black and white illustration of the demon was amateur and faded, but it matched the one from her book. Sharp teeth, clawed hands, mouth gaping over a man's sleeping form. On the opposite page was an illustration of a beautiful woman morphing into the creature.

"So the folklore seems to say that they have a human form and a demonic form," Wynn said, tapping the picture of the woman, "But I'll go ahead and call that fake. It's like a mix."

"As you say. Read the page."

Wynn squinted at the words – tiny, spidery characters.

"Okay, so the succubus seduces the man in his dreams, blah blah, devours him, blah…oh, here! 'The common myth claims that Lilith is the mother to all succubi, called _lilim_ by The Greeks. The succubi in Christianity were referred to as the harlots of hell. See page 674 for the myth of Lilith.'"

Wynn rushed to the referred page, and Loki leaned in closer.

"Okay, so it says, 'Lilith was the first wife of Adam, who refused to lie beneath him during intercourse. When she did not succumb to his male dominance, though he persisted, she fled to the Red Sea, cursing him. Adam complained to God, who sent three angels to bring Lilith back to Eden. She denied the angels and while residing by the sea she slept with demons, if only to spite Adam and his God. She gave birth to hundreds of lilim, which the angels threatened to take from her if Lilith did not return to Eden. Still she did not go back, and her punishment has been lost to records.

The common belief is that her power is at its peak during the waning of the moon and that her children, the lilim (or succubi), assist her in victimizing and gathering energy from human men. It was later believed that women and children were attacked as well, as Lilith and her children would steal new-born babes, especially males. Often, the mother was killed or maimed, though in the myths it is never explained why'."

Wynn snapped the book shut as quickly as she could after reading the last word and inhaled deeply, eyes wide.

"Holy shit, that's creepy," she murmured.

"But helpful. We have a leader and her title. And if the legend is true, we have a time frame," Loki explained. "As I recall, the moon was full a few nights prior."

"Which means it'll be waning until the new moon. Great, amazing. If Stark throws together that party, we'll be like sheep for slaughter," Wynn groaned, and Loki shifted his eyes up from the book to meet hers. There were a few beats of silence before it clicked in Wynn's brain.

"Oh no. Oh no, no, no, _no_. You can't tell me that's Stark's plan."

"I'm sure that planning the celebration during the waning cycle was completely unintentional, but that makes it all the more potent. Consider it – us, their objectives, surrounded by mortals. Thor would never even think of hurting a human, and that girl of his is completely worthless in defending herself. Depending on the size of the leader's army…" Loki trailed off, and Wynn shook her head, not quite believing it.

"It'll be a massacre if they get the upper-hand. What the hell is Stark thinking?"

"I believe he thinks that they will pose no true threat. He always has been extremely…confident in his abilities," Loki pointed out sourly, and Wynn rolled her eyes. She bent over and pulled out another book, lips drawn tight.

"Well, the best we can do is keep looking and find out as much as we can. We've got to be ready for these things - we can't go into this blind."

"Pray that Stark actually listens," Loki muttered, and Wynn nodded. She would pray harder than she ever had in her life for that to come true.

* * *

The night slipped past, and by three in the morning, the girl was falling in and out of consciousness. He would look over to see her in a different position each time – sometimes she'd be crunched over, squinting at a page furiously. Other times her head would be tilting back, eyelids fluttering as she fought sleep.

He was flipping through one of the last books when he felt her weight fall against him, slight but extremely warm. Her hair brushed his cheek and the feeling of it made his stomach clench.

It was like the night before all over again.

He was a light sleeper, and always would be; he had nearly seized her by the throat in surprise when her arm had circled around his ribs. The realization of her touch had been jilting, comparable only to the clutch of a lover (the very word made him itch), and had kept him awake for nearly an hour. The feeling of a woman in his bed, holding onto him, warm and soft – it was foreign. Any bed partners he had before slept apart from him and left before he awoke.

True, he wanted to be angered by her touch. He wished he had it within him to snatch her up and shake her, make her so frightened of him that she could never look him in the eyes again. But he remembered all too clearly lying on the damp, cold floor of the Asgardian cells, in the dank cellars. The only touch he had felt in his time back in Asgard were the brief, cool hands of Frigga's before they dragged him away; then came the needle.

Rough hands, covered in calluses, had gripped him by the face as his mouth was sewn shut. If he closed his eyes he could still feel the sting of the needle, the soft sound it made as it ripped through his flesh, the warm blood on his chin. How had he gotten from there to here? The bastard child of Laufey, who scoffed at Thor for loving a mortal, who attempted to make the entire human race kneel – allowed a human girl to hold him and foolishly believed in her sentiments.

Madness.

"Wynn," he whispered harshly, jostling his shoulder against her harder than was necessary. She jerked forward and her eyes fluttered open for all of a millisecond before her head was back at his shoulder.

"Talk later, sleep now," she grumbled, curling into his side even tighter.

"No, wake yourself," he said, and stood abruptly. She fell to the side, narrowly bracing with her forearm. Wynn pushed herself back into a sitting position and stared up at him with bleary eyes, perplexed.

"Wha-" she started, but what he did next surprised even him. He grabbed her by both shoulders, so hard that he could practically feel the imprints it would leave in her skin, and leaned down to her face.

"I don't know what game you're attempting to play," he hissed, "But you will put a stop to it. Do you truly believe your own words? Your sentiments toward me? If so, then you are foolish as well as completely mad." As if to emphasize his words, he yanked her forward so quickly that he heard her teeth clatter.

There was a beat of silence, save for their ragged breathing. He could see himself reflected in her eyes, and the face he wore was familiar - angered and desperate for answers.

She placed a warm hand on his face, and he nearly wrenched away. The touch was tender and safe, completely alien.

"If you think the words stupid and crazy are new to me, you're very wrong."

She gave him a sort of half-smile, and the shadows the fire cast around the room made the dimple in her cheek seem never-ending as an abyss.

"I believe in everything I've said to you and then some, and by the way, I don't regret anything I've done either. Felt silly, maybe, but not regretted it. And I believe in you. You've made mistakes but hey, who hasn't? Second chances, and all that."

The hand on his face fell to his shoulder, and for once his skin finally felt warm.

"I won't let you be alone anymore, I promise. Okay? Loki?"

Something in his throat tightened, and for as weak and pathetic as he felt, he allowed himself to slip to his knees in front of her, allowed her arms to circle around his neck and hold him tightly. Her collarbone against his cheek felt sharp, a reminder that the moment was not something he had conjured up in a dream. He didn't know how long they stayed like that, hours or minutes, but when she released him the ache was immediate.

His want for her dried his mouth and seared a path down deep inside of him.

He would have her.

* * *

"All right, up we go! Party tonight, up and at 'em, rise and shine! Wynn, _get your ass up!_"

Wynn was (sort of literally) yanked into consciousness when Stark took her by the foot and flung her leg around like a pool noodle. She let out some sort of strangled scream and Stark let her go, only to give her a few slaps on the forehead.

"Stark, stop! You _ass!_" Wynn snapped, clawing at his hands.

"Just had to make sure you were up. Pepper tries all the tricks on me. It won't work. Get up, let's go, time to prepare!"

"Prepare what?" she grumbled, heaving herself up and stretching.

"Uh, I don't know, weapons, traps, attire for a fancy evening. It's all arranged. I stayed up till the morning coordinating everything. Stark tower is throwing a spur-of-the-moment party for…well, I forget, but Pepper came up with something."

"Okay, okay. I think I have a dress somewhere. What do I need to do?" she asked, but Stark was already leaving.

"Stark!" she called, but got no reply.

Groaning, she flopped backwards and stared at the ceiling with a crick the size of a baseball sitting in her neck. Last night was all sort of a blur. She remembered looking through the books, the Lilith story, and then –

Oh God.

Slapping her hands to her face, she let out a noise that somewhat resembled a dying whale. She had acted like such a goopy girl, hugging Loki and spewing all that…that _fluff. _Granted, everything she said had been true, but it was supposed to stay the truth inside her head. She had lain back down on the couch after she let Loki go, and who knew where he had gone after she fell asleep. Probably to hitch a ride back to Asgard so that he could get away from her.

"Hey, Wynn, I heard – Wynn? Are you, like, dying or something?" Darcy's voice floated in from the doorway, and Wynn peeked through her fingers at the girl.

"Not yet," she sighed, and let her hands fall to her lap. "Darcy, why am I so - I don't even know. Me, I guess."

"Um, because you were born you? That's normally how it works," the girl replied, unsure.

"True. Okay, just-" Wynn slapped her cheeks a few times, furrowing her brow. "I'm good, I'm cool. Let's go help Stark get stuff ready. I need to kick some ass tonight."

"Kick ass? Whose ass are we kicking? Do I need my taser?"

"Oh, yeah. You'll need your taser."

* * *

"Okay, time to do The Check," Darcy said, squinting at Wynn and Jane.

"You make it sound so official," Wynn sighed, "But go ahead."

"Thanks, bro. Heels and dress all put on properly?"

"Check," Wynn and Jane mono-toned together.

"Hot girl face make-up on?"

"Check."

"Boobs at maximum boob-age?"

"Check."

"Hair did?"

"Check."

"All right," Darcy laughed, slapping her palms together, "We're good to go! Oh, and Wynn, you can't avoid Loki forever, so just go out there and shake your ass, okay?"

"I'm not avoiding him, Darcy," Wynn growled, but Darcy just rolled her eyes and turned to look in the mirror.

Dabbing at her blood-red lipstick, she met Wynn's eyes in the mirror and said dryly, "Yeah, that's why you practically did a barrel roll into the nearest room when you saw him coming down the hallway today."

"…I didn't barrel roll."

"Wynn, you literally fell to the floor and turned into Sonic. You _barrel rolled_."

Before Wynn could retort, Jane shoved in the middle, holding her sling out like a barrier.

"Okay, teamwork, remember?" Jane reminded them crossly. "Do your last self-checks and come downstairs. The party officially started an hour ago."

Jane swished from the Wynn's room, calling her good-byes. The sheer bronze dress she had on made her look even prettier than usual, and it draped so that her sling was somewhat covered. Seriously, the girl was so beautiful it made Wynn's eyes burn a little.

Darcy grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her to the mirror.

"Damn, girl, we look good," Darcy crowed, ruffling the lace that sat at the top of her chest. She was wearing a small black dress that made her look even curvier than normal, and Wynn felt a pang of envy. Wynn considered herself in the mirror and pulled at the loose locks of white hair that fell from the twisted bun she had made.

"You look like a fairy. Which is awesome," Darcy assured her, taking her hand. "C'mon, let's go."

"All right," she agreed half-heartedly, and allowed Darcy to lead her to the elevator. As they rode down, Wynn tugged at the bottom of the white lace dress she wore. It fit like a glove, but she picked at it for lack of anything better to do with her hands.

"Don't be nervous. Just have fun and keep your eye out for creepers. Hey, does Jane know what's going on?" Darcy asked suddenly, and Wynn shook her head.

"Thor didn't want to scare her. We're kind of leaving her in the dark on this one. I'm not so sure it's a good idea, but it's what Thor wanted."

"I guess. So do you think I'll see you in action tonight?"

"My machete is strapped to my thigh, if that's what you're getting at," Wynn said, and Darcy made some sort of squealing noise that made the hairs on her arms stand up.

"That's badass, you're badass, let's go _kick ass_. Elevator open!"

Darcy snatched Wynn by the wrist and yanked her from the elevator, and into the crowded room of people. Wynn gaped at the high ceiling, sparkling with chandeliers. Who knew that the tower even had a party room? Someone played a grand piano in the background, and it mingled with the swell of chatter that floated around in the air. Couples slow-danced in the main part of the room, but there were others mingling on the outskirts.

Wynn scanned the area, and quickly spotted the flame of Natasha's hair. She and Clint were playing the happy, young couple, standing by the food table and laughing to each other; Wynn watched as their eyes darted around, observing each person. Thor was dancing with Jane in the crowd, and she could see Banner skirting around the room, pretending to be the ever-helpful hors d'oeuvre server.

"I hear Cap is pretending to be the event manager," Darcy whispered in her ear, "Which fits. He can charm his way out of anything. By the way, try charming your way out of this, because here comes Loki. Bye!" Darcy slipped behind her and darted off, leaving Wynn standing there flipping her head around.

Loki pushed past a woman, striding toward her, and Wynn had to clench her jaw to keep her mouth from falling open. He wore a dark suit, the green scarf winding around his neck the only pop of color. He looked dark and regal and about as handsome as someone could get. Suddenly, she felt like scrambling back into the elevator and hiding for…forever. But she stood there, shifting her weight from one high-heeled foot to the other, and gave him a strangled smile.

"Wynn," he said.

"Loki," she replied, and then said, "You look good. Really good."

He smiled a tiny bit and took her by the elbow.

"As do you. Dance with me."

Her stomach dropped, but she managed to agree. As he led her to the middle of the room, she allowed her eyes to drift to hands, to mouths opened wide with laughter. No sharp points. So far, so good. Loki took her by the waist and began to spin them around slowly, leaving Wynn fumbling to get a grip on his shoulder.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I presume that you've been avoiding me," Loki said at her ear, and she gripped his shoulder hard.

"No. Well, maybe a little."

"And why is that?" he asked, and his voice sent a vibration down her spine.

"You weren't wrong when you said I'm honest. But sometimes my honesty embarrasses me," she admitted. He didn't say anything to that, but continued to twirl her around, hands firm at the dip of her waist.

After a few minutes she let her body loosen, and focused on observing people over Loki's shoulder. Dancing was the perfect decoy; he maneuvered them easily through the crowd of couples, throwing in a few more spins than necessary so that they could see all angles. They passed Thor and Jane a few times, and the god winked at Wynn whenever they swished by.

Nearly an hour of dancing passed, and Wynn finally had to ask Loki to stop. The throbbing in her feet was killing her. She hobbled over to the wall and leaned against the cool marble with a sigh.

"Better?" Loki asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah, much be-"

A scream cut her off, and all she could see above the heads in the crowd was a buffet table flying into the air, splitting the throng of people. The room was suddenly a mass of screaming chaos, and everyone stampeded for the exit.

"Shit!" she hissed, and immediately kicked off her heels. Loki faded beside her, his form disappearing and flitting off somewhere into the panicking crowd. Wynn could feel the machete through the lace of her dress, but she couldn't whip it out until the people were cleared. Another table went flying, and this time she could see the person lifting it. The woman was tall, black hair cascading down her back in waves. The dress lifted slightly to reveal thigh muscles that could probably crush a stack of bricks.

Someone's voice rang out above the screaming, and Wynn identified it as Steve's. He pushed people to the various stairwells, herding them into semi-organized lines.

_Good enough, _she thought, and yanked up the skirt of her dress to pull the machete from the two black straps. About a second after she revealed the machete, a glass bowl came flying towards her head, and she hit the ground. Wynn bounced back to her feet, glass shattering against the wall, and squared off to the woman standing in front of her.

"You again, so nice to see you. How's the knee?" the woman rasped, dropping her shoulders low. Wynn sidestepped and the woman did the same, tracing her.

"Pretty good. A little bruising," Wynn replied. In the light of the room, she realized that the woman was beautiful, as the myths said. Wynn recognized the husky voice and the slender shape of her body from that night on the street. A seductress that turns into a creature.

All of the civilians had been evacuated, and Wynn risked a glance off to the side. There were three hostiles in total, possibly more in other parts of the tower. Thor had cornered two of them, while the rest of the Avengers barricaded the exits, weapons drawn. Loki was nowhere to be seen.

Wynn flicked her eyes back to the woman just as she came hurtling forward, and Wynn braced the machete in front of her. There was a moment of pure horror as her assailant literally speared herself, acting as if the machete wasn't even there. The momentum forced Wynn back and onto the ground, and the only thing that kept her own body and the woman's separated was the machete. Blood splashed on the front of her dress as the woman clamored to get a hold of Wynn's neck.

"I'll rip your throat out," she snarled, and Wynn tossed her head from side to side, evading the hands. The succubus' nails, sharp as knives, nicked her skin, which only seemed to send her into more of a frenzy.

With the strongest push she could muster, Wynn heaved the woman to the side, and the machete slid out of her abdomen with a sickening sound. She scrambled to her feet just as the succubus rolled onto her back and flung herself to standing.

"What do you want, creatures?" Thor's voice boomed through the room, and for a moment the woman lost interest in her, choosing instead to look over at the god who had Mjolnir pointed at the other two succubi.

Wynn took advantage of the distraction, backpedaling towards where Natasha stood, gun aimed.

"It is simple," one of them, the one who had thrown the second table, said. Her voice was much higher than that of the woman who had attacked Wynn, almost sweet. "We want you and all of yours to suffer. And then we will drag your bodies to the feet of your king."

Wynn watched as Loki suddenly materialized behind them, and the two succubi twisted in alarm. The third stood stock-still, watching.

"And what of Lilith? What does she want with the Allfather?" Loki asked casually, as if he was just having a nice chat with friends.

"How do you know of Lilith?" One of the women snarled.

"That is unimportant. Tell me why the Allfather seems to be the bane of your existence, and we will let you out alive," Loki replied. Thor gripped Mjolnir tighter in response to his brother's idle threat, and the third succubi took notice. She crouched down, eyes flitting wildly between Thor and Loki.

The succubus with the sweet voice laughed loudly, baring two twin rows of sharp teeth.

"Loki Odinson, always full of lies," she said, still giggling to herself. "You lie and lie. What will it take to pull the truth from you? Will we have to bring that girl to her knees?" She turned her head slightly, and stared right at Wynn.

"Will we have to make her scream? Make her bleed? …Rhetorical questions, I suppose. That's the plan. And the other girl, Jane, is it? Well, she's just a peach. I broke her arm myself. Quite a satisfying snap, I must say."

The growl that came from Thor reverberated through the room, and he roared,

"You will never lay a hand on Jane again! Stop with these games!"

"Games? These are no games, Thor Odinson! It is time for the Allfather to pay for what he has done. We will break him down until he has nothing left, starting with his sons," she paused, breathing heavily, and then snapped her gaze over to the third.

"Kill her!" she yelled, splitting away from the succubus beside her. Thor and Loki each went after one, and Wynn turned her head just in time to see her familiar attacker sprinting in her direction.

Somewhere in the tower, she heard Jane scream.


	18. Iris

**All right, guys, we've offically passed the 400 mark! That's seriously amazing and you're all amazing. I can't handle my emotions. Asjkdjdkjas yes. Okay, so we're starting off with a Loki POV. See you next chapter. :)**

**Be warned: gore. Not bad gore. But still - violence. Also a hint of sexuality.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest if Marvel's.**

* * *

As soon as Jane Foster screamed, Thor was off sprinting in the other direction, and Loki nearly froze in the middle of throwing his knife. He had never known his hot-headed brother to abandon a fight. But then, it had been a long time since he had fought _with _him and not _against _him.

As Thor went thundering towards the stairwell, Banner right behind him, Loki roared at his back, "Aim for the heart!"

There was a sudden ricochet by his head and he jerked to the side as Agent Romanoff fired off round after round, tracing the succubus that was making a beeline for Clint. Loki and Agent Barton set their eyes on the apparent leader of the group as she ran for the opposite exit. Barton fired off an arrow and it pierced her knee - it barely slowed her down. Loki swiveled a dagger in his hand and heaved it at the left side of her back, but at the last second she jerked to the side.

_I never miss my mark_, he snarled to himself. _She heard it coming._

Loki took chase as the woman ran through the wide double doors, most likely to go to the roof and escape. She would be a valuable piece of information if he could just snag her and _force the truth from her –_

Some mangled sort of expletive cut through the air and Loki faltered, whipping his head around. There he saw Wynn being dragged to the ground, the hand of her attacker digging into the top of the girl's thigh so hard he could see the muscles standing out in the woman's forearm. Blood had seeped through the white of Wynn's dress, spreading from hipbone to the hem.

"Damn," he hissed, and skidded to a stop, letting the other go. This one would do.

He ran back, where Wynn had managed to wrestle her assailant to her knees. He snatched the hilt of the machete, knocking Wynn to the side, and stabbed it into the woman's chest. The succubus fell the rest of the way to the ground, howling so loudly Loki thought his head might split. He stomped his foot down on her writhing body and she stilled, hands fisted by her ears. As she stared up at him, he saw her face contort with fear and pain, the first bit of weakness he had witnessed from the breed. A thin sheen of sweat slicked her forehead and her eyes flicked around wildly, like a caged animal.

"We lost her," Barton called from the other side of the room, and Loki glanced up long enough to see Agent Romanoff gripping Clint by his bleeding shoulder. The demon Romanoff had been shooting at repetitively had vanished.

He settled his gaze back on the woman and stared at her for a moment before placing his foot at her throat. He pressed until he felt the resistance of her windpipe straining, threatening to crack.

"Tell me where to find Lilith," he said, voice soft as if he were speaking to a friend. A smile split her lips, and she let out a strangled laugh.

"Never," she rasped, and he rammed his foot down harder. She let out a choked gurgle, and a bit of blood spouted from her lips.

"Tell me," he hissed, intentionally leaning his weight into the machete, "where to find Lilith."

As the machete broke through bone and got closer to her heart, the demon suddenly seemed to realize how close she was to death. She tried to gasp, but failed, not being able to get any air past the pressure in her throat.

"She plans a mass attack on the next waning cycle," the succubus rasped, "I suggest you make peace with your God before that time. I damn you, Odinson."

Loki smiled warmly, and said, "I have no God."

With a hard thrust, he cracked through the last resistance of her bones and let the machete pierce her heart, diving in so far he felt the weapon exit through her back.

Her eyes bulged and then, very abruptly, she stilled. Expelling a hard breath, he yanked the machete out and cast the body one final glance before turning to Wynn. The girl had been smart enough to give him space, and she stood a few feet away, watching him. There was an odd mix of horror and relief on her face; he wondered if she felt more settled knowing her attacker was dead. Loki's eyes wandered down and he spotted a thin stream of blood course down her leg in a way that was almost obscene. Even though the woman was dead, he felt like turning around and jabbing the body for good measure, if only to release the rage he felt from watching Wynn bleed.

Instead, he offered her the weapon.

"I believe this belongs to you," he told her, and she reached out to take it with a sound of disgust.

"This is going to take forever to clean," she groaned.

"Hey, save it for later," Barton said, drawing their attention. He and Natasha had sidled up to watch the scene sometime during, unnoticed. "We need to go see what the hell went on downstairs."

"Yeah, okay," Wynn agreed, trying not to stare at the lifeless succubus. "Let's go."

* * *

There was another body. This one was considerably more muscular than the others had been, and had short brown hair that was now stained with blood. The gore that spread across the floor was awful, a result of Stark sending a blast directly through her chest.

"You got no information from her, then?" Loki asked Thor, who was holding onto a quivering Jane. Darcy Lewis paced back and forth beside them, looking more manic than normal.

"No. As I said, by the time I arrived-"

"I had already taken care of it," Stark said, cutting him off. "And to think, I was feeling guilty about dipping out of the party for a while. Good thing Jane has a scary set of lungs or I wouldn't have heard her from the lab."

"Why were you even playing with a weapon blaster?" Wynn asked, and then held up her hand to stop his reply. "You know what, never mind. Stupid question."

"I'll contact Fury. S.H.I.E.L.D. will take care of the bodies," Agent Romanoff said to no one in particular. The last bit seemed tacked on for reassurance. "Agent Randall, I would suggest you start working on a report sometime very soon. And clean up your leg."

The girl looked over to Romanoff quickly, as if she had just been jerked from a daydream.

"Yes, Agent Romanoff," Wynn replied, albeit wearily. The doctor reached out from his place beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. Loki wanted to cut in and slap it away.

"You need me to look at your leg?" the doctor asked, but she slipped from his grip.

"No, it's fine. I just – excuse me."

Loki watched the girl hobble away, and made a mental note to check up on her in a bit.

"I'd get Jane and Darcy back to their rooms," Agent Romanoff said to Thor. "We'll take care of the rest. Clint, will you get Fury on the phone?"

The man shook the cell phone in his hand and muttered, "Already on it, Nat."

Thor clutched Jane harder into his arms, and looked over to Loki.

"Brother, go see to Lady Wynn," Thor told him. Loki prickled instantly at the command, but he wasn't going to appear childish and deny Thor just for the sake of it. Not when he had already told himself he would seek her out.

"As you say," Loki replied, and headed in the direction she had gone. He didn't even give the body that lay on the floor a passing glance.

* * *

Wynn slammed her door shut behind her and managed to get as far as the bed before she slid to the floor, her leg giving in. The muscles in her thigh were trembling violently, and while it didn't hurt, she could still feel blood oozing out. It alarmed her. The wound was deep and certainly jagged, but it should have been healing by now. Wynn lifted up the tattered material of her dress and stared at it. Nothing. Just four long serrated ruts, a result of the succubus digging in her claws and letting them drag as she had fallen to the floor.

"Jesus," she muttered, prodding at the wound. With a sigh, she let her head fall back and lean against the side of the bed. She suddenly felt very weary as the full weight of the day crashed down on her; what had just happened seemed way too frightening to comprehend. She couldn't even imagine how much Pepper and Stark would have to lie to the public after the chaos that had gone down.

Wynn allowed herself to briefly think of Loki standing over the demon, looking…well, scary as shit. There had been no mercy in his mannerisms, no hesitation. She wondered if that's what he was like when he had been attacking New York; so cold and threatening. Just seeing playbacks of the new coverage and video recordings of him in the cage hadn't prepared her for that.

A sharp knock at the door drew her head upwards, and there stood Loki at the doorway, one hand still on the knob. She hadn't even heard him open the door.

"Hey, Loki," she greeted, letting one hand flop in what was supposed to be a wave. He paced into the room after kicking the door shut with his foot, arms crossed.

"Everyone seems to be settling. S.H.I.E.L.D. will be here shortly to clean up the mess," he said, and paused before asking, "How are you faring?"

"Okay, I guess. I'm just…I don't know. My leg, where she grabbed it, it won't heal. This hasn't happened before." Wynn rubbed her leg uncomfortably. A bit of dried blood flaked off and she grimaced at the papery feeling.

"Does it pain you?" Loki asked, walking closer to her.

"No, it actually never really hurt. But it just won't go away like it should."

"Perhaps it is deeper than you think. Let me take a look," Loki said, kneeling down beside her on the floor. He grasped her ankle and pulled her leg out straight, until the back of her knee touched the floor. Wynn tried not to shy away when he pushed up the hem of her skirt to reveal the full extent of the injury.

"I'm uncertain, but Odin's hold on my magic may have loosened enough that I may heal it." He glanced up at her, and registered the abnormal width of her eyes. "It won't hurt."

"I believe you," she told him. It was easier to have him think that the sudden quickness of her breath occurred because of fear, not because his hand was on her thigh.

He pressed down on the wound, and the chill from his skin seemed to seep into the gashes. She watched his brows furrow in concentration, lips drawn in a tight line, and a sudden warmth wrapped around her leg. Her quadriceps tensed reflexively into his hand, and a familiar tightness crawled in her skin as the lesions closed.

Slowly, the warmth disintegrated and Loki lifted his hand to reveal an expanse of skin clear of any marring. Wynn let out a little breathless laugh and looked up at Loki, who had allowed himself a self-satisfied smirk.

"It seems the Allfather's grasp is weakening," Loki murmured, almost to himself, "I wonder for what reason."

"I have no idea, but I'm glad it is, because that was completely amazing," Wynn told him, still smiling to herself. Loki's eyes flickered up to meet hers, and the longer he held her gaze, the more aware she was of the air getting tight. Wynn was suddenly very conscious of the fact that his hand had rested back onto her thigh, the chill of it both soothing and strange. She watched as his pupils dilated, black swallowing the blue of his iris.

"Was it?" he asked softly, his voice slipping low, and she assumed the question was rhetorical when she felt his hand glide slowly up from its position right above her knee. His long fingers skimmed along her inner thigh, and didn't stop until his thumb hit the very base of her hipbone; just one more inch and he'd be trespassing onto personal property. All of her nerves suddenly seemed exposed and raw; a small tremor quaked in her abdomen, spreading a warmth that felt very alien. She hadn't even noticed that he had drawn closer, and she could feel the heat of his breath skimming across her cheekbone.

"Loki, I-" she started, but was interrupted by the sound of the door swinging open.

"Yo, Wynn, can I sleep in here with – woah, my bad."

_Darcy. Of. Frickin'. Course._

Wynn jerked her leg from Loki's grip and scrambled to her feet, smoothing her dilapidated dress down as much as she could. Loki stood much more gracefully than she had, but Wynn could see how rigid his spine was from the corner of her eye. There was a beat of awkward silence as they all assessed each other, knowing full well what Darcy had just walked in on.

"Yes, you can stay. Loki was just leaving." Wynn cut him a look and he nodded, brushing nonexistent dust from his pants.

"So I was. Goodnight, Wynn. Miss Lewis," he said, slipping past Darcy and from the room in a few long-legged strides. The slam of the door reverberated through the room and the two girls stood staring at each other, both seemingly in an embarrassed shock.

"Dude," Darcy finally intoned, "Fucking _Loki of Asgard _has the hots for you."

"That's ridiculous. Hand me that shirt, will you?" Wynn muttered, plopping down on the edge of the bed. She tried to roll her eyes for effect, but it didn't quite work, considering her heart was still throbbing wildly in her chest. Wynn grimaced as she peeled her stiff dress off, and held it out in front of her. It was horribly sad seeing the pretty dress as destroyed as it was; she patted it lovingly before tossing it to the side. No point in folding it.

"Yeah, it's ridiculous, totally not the reason why he practically had his hand in your crotch when I walked in," Darcy retorted bluntly, handing her a sleepshirt as she crawled past to the other side of the bed. Wynn yanked the shirt on and flipped around to glare at Darcy.

"That is so, so wrong. He was a good…at least a full inch away from my crotch," Wynn snapped, shoving her legs under the blankets. She heard Darcy snort as she punched the pillow and lay down. With a sigh, Wynn flipped the bedside light off and the room was cast into darkness. Wynn stared blankly at the ceiling and tried to ignore the heat that burned on her cheeks.

_'What the hell just happened?' _she asked herself almost desperately. '_This was definitely not in the job description.'_

All was blissfully quiet for a few minutes, save for the jumble of thoughts roaring around in her head, before she heard Darcy laugh to herself and mutter, "Bet you _totally _wish I was Loki right-"

"Darcy, shut your whore mouth."

"…Okay.

* * *

Wynn woke up with a foot dug into the back of her knee and a snoring Darcy drooling into her shoulder. Rubbing her eyes, she wiggled out from under Darcy and shivered across the floor to the bathroom, grabbing clothes on the way. She took a shower in water that was so hot it made her skin turn red, and scrubbed her scalp extra hard, paranoid of dried blood or debris sticking around.

By the time she had dressed and dried her hair, Darcy was still asleep, snoring away. Wynn rolled her eyes but let her sleep, considering the night they had had before. She slipped from the room as quietly as she could and headed upstairs, her stomach growling painfully.

...Which is how she ended up crouching in the hallway that led to the kitchen, hiding for a good ten minutes.

Wynn peeked around the corner of the kitchen and assessed the sight before her. It was like a real life Twilight Zone episode, only without the entertaining intro. There was Loki, staring down the coffee machine as it hissed. He looked like he was preparing for it to rebel and spout hot liquid all over his face. Wynn tried not to laugh, but the absurdity was nearly too much. The God of Mischief, Prince of Asgard - waiting for coffee to brew with bare feet and bed head.

"You know, the harder you stare, the angrier it gets," Wynn said, finally standing and entering the kitchen. Loki turned his head and gave her a half-hearted glare that looked more confused than anything. For a split second, she felt a dose of fear run through her. What if it was awkward between them after the night before? After what he had done (and she had let him)? They watched each other for a moment before Loki moved to the side, gesturing at the pot.

"I made...coffee."

He said "coffee" slowly and precisely, like a foreign exchange student testing out a slang expression.

"I can see that," Wynn told him, hardely surpressing a sigh of relief. He was acting normal...for Loki. "You didn't even get frustrated and break it like you did the blender."

"Yes, but this machine has no spinning blades and only two buttons," Loki replied, and leaned down to watch the coffee spill out into the pot with a hiss. He stared up _into _the machine, eyes narrowed. "Fascinating."

"Oh my god," Wynn gasped, and held her stomach in preparation for the pain. Loki watched her laugh until she was nearly crying, obviously not sure whether to be amused or insulted by her cackling.

"Ow, fuck, I think I strained my dimples," she managed to say after she had exhausted her lungs, still giggling. Wynn slapped her hands to her aching cheeks and held them.

"You deserved that," Loki said sourly, pouring coffee into two mugs. He handed her a cup, and she curled a lip at it.

"I still can't believe you drink it black," she told him, watching with mild distaste as he took a sip from his own drink.

"And I can't believe you let Darcy Lewis sleep in the same bed as you. As I recall, she snores. Loudly."

"Well, yeah. But she was freaked out." Wynn leaned against the counter and ripped open three sugar packets to dump into the mug. "Do you know if S.H.I.E.L.D. ever came and got the bodies? Oh, and could you hand me a spoon, please?"

_'Did I really just talk about dead bodies and sugar in the same sentence?' _Wynn asked herself in disgust.

"They did. You did not hear them for as loud as they were?" he asked, handing her a spoon. She shook her head as she stirred in the sugar.

"Nope. When I sleep, I'm dead to the world," she said. "Did you talk to Thor anytime this morning?"

"I have not. I assume he'll seek me out soon enough. He'll want to devise some sort of plan. It's pointless, really, when I already know what he'll want."

"And what's that?"

Loki frowned into his coffee, and replied bitterly, "He'll want to return to Asgard and pry the truth from Odin."

Wynn watched him quietly for a moment, staring into the mug like it held life's answers, and then tapped him on the shoulder.

"Why's that so bad?" she asked when he looked up. "You don't have to really talk to him. Just go with Thor."

"That's not possible. As soon as I return, I shall be back in chains," Loki spat. "Frigga and Thor seem to be the only ones who believe I should be independent while in Asgard."

Wynn grimaced; she could see the anger in his face, and if she squinted, maybe fear. She didn't really want to know what they had done to him when he went back to Asgard after leading the destruction of New York. She got the impression that he hadn't been let off with just a slap to the wrist.

"Well," she said hesitantly, "_If _Thor wants to go speak with him and _if _you go with him, what if we came with you? All of the science geeks have been foaming at the mouth to see another realm. Plus, I can vouch for you, say you've been on your best behavior. Even though that's a lie."

"And you're awful at lying. But I appreciate the effort," he replied. "We'll see. I am unsure of humans traveling to Asgard, but that is a dilemma for later."

Wynn nodded and about that time, Stark shuffled into the kitchen, scratching his hip (Wynn just thanked her luck it wasn't something else).

"Morning, Stark," she greeted, and he mumbled something in response that sounded like 'don't talk to me'.

He poured half a cup of the leftover coffee and practically chugged the whole thing.

"You know," he finally said, voice scratchy, "I could deal with the dead bodies. I could deal with S.H.I.E.L.D. touching all of _my _things, even though I told them not to. I could even deal with Fury tearing me a new asshole for the whole party idea. But I can't deal with Thanksgiving."

Loki looked back and forth between the two humans, considering the distressed looks they wore.

"_Thanksgiving?" _Wynn moaned. "You're not serious."

"As a heart attack. Pepper still insists we're having "family dinner" despite ravenous freaks trying to kill us...I have to shop." He paused, and added, "No, scratch that, I have to sacrifice myself to the demons. That's the only way I'll get out of it."

"It just...it's Thanksgiving time _already_?" Wynn pushed her hair back and let out a heavy groan. "When?"

"Uh, three days? Which sucks because that means-" Stark stopped short and pointed at her, "Wait, no, what are you doing today? Anything actually productive?"

"...Maybe."

Stark narrowed his eyes at her, and said slowly, "All right, here's the deal. You and Reindeer Games do my shopping, and I'll stop with the Winnie the Pooh references for a month."

Wynn stared at him, and drummed her fingers on the side of her mug in consideration.

"Three months," she bargained finally.

"Two."

Wynn scratched her neck and sighed. Turning to Loki, she asked, "Ever been to a Midgardian supermarket before?"


	19. In the Snow

**Guys, I have a life, I promise. Just not at the moment. **

**All right, I'd like to credit two amazing people. MsAdhara for the cantaloupe idea, and ThisLooksLikeAJobForMe for a certain awkward scene that sprouted from something she mentioned in her Ch. 18 review (ahemcondomahem).**

**This one is pretty domestic, unless you count Loki with a pineapple as scary.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

After telling Darcy repetitively that she couldn't go with them and snagging the grocery list from Stark like it was a packet of drugs, she and Loki were on their way. Wynn dug her hands into the pockets of her blue peacoat and blew out a breath to watch it hang in the cold air.

"Are you always this entertained by common things?" Loki asked after she had been sighing for about five minutes.

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'happiness is in the little things'?" Wynn asked, and when he gave her a blank look she said, "Apparently not. Anyway, it's fun for me. I grew up in Florida, and then I was in Africa and the Middle East with the army…not a lot of cold weather. Is it warm in Asgard?"

"Perpetually," he replied, "I suppose I'm just not as easily amused."

"Your loss," Wynn shrugged, and then threw out an arm so he stopped short. They both looked up at the sign that read _'Union Market'_. It may as well have said _'Death Awaits Inside'_ by the dismayed look on Loki's face.

"We have arrived, sir. Is your body ready?"

"I have to prepare my body?"

"No, Loki, it's just a – you know, never mind. Let's get this over with," Wynn huffed, stepping up to the entrance.

The automatic doors slid open to let a blast of heat hit their faces, and even though it was a grocery store filled with holiday-crazed people, she appreciated it for its warmth. Wynn removed her hands from her pockets and pointed to one of the carts.

"See that metal shiny thing with wheels? We need one of those."

Loki rubbed his fingers together and furrowed his brow in disgust. "And just how many humans do you think have touched those objects?"

"Loki, it's a cart, not the Bubonic plague."

He made a groaning noise deep in the back of his throat but did as she had asked, barely touching the handle of the cart as he wheeled it into the store. Wynn pulled the list from her pocket and squinted at Stark's messy handwriting.

"Okay, first we need swoot per…what? Oh, sweet potatoes!" Wynn looked up and surveyed the store. The side they were on was thankfully the produce section, but it looked like a whole other world. The place was huge.

"I guess we'll just walk around till we find them," Wynn said with a sigh, walking aimlessly forward. Loki looked like he was pushing around a huge dirty tissue by the way he was acting, but at least he was cooperating…sort of.

"Midgardian foods are odd," he commented, pausing to reach out and poke at a cantaloupe.

"That's a cantaloupe," Wynn told him, picking up the heavy wrinkled fruit. "They're not a winter fruit, so the store must have shipped it in from another country." She brought it up to her nose and sniffed, trying to gauge the ripeness, only to see Loki sending her a look that clearly said, "dear-Lord-what-are-you-doing".

"Don't look at me like that, it makes me itchy. Here, smell it." She thrust it into his hands, and he turned it over before bringing it to his face.

"For what reason?" he asked, and sniffed. "It smells bitter."

"So it's not ripe. The sweeter and…I don't know, "cantaloupe-ier" they smell, the better they are."

"Oh," he said simply, and threw it back, which she guessed was the symbol for '_I'm done'_. They managed to find the sweet potatoes easily, considering the market was like the Cave of Wonders for fresh produce.

Wynn stuffed so many potatoes into the bag that it began to bulge dangerously, knowing how much Thor ate. If she didn't have possession of Stark's credit card, she'd be in debt by the time they left.

"Okay, sweet potatoes down. Only about…thirty more things to go." Wynn looked up from the list to give Loki a mega-watt smile. "Excited?"

"…Thrilled."

"That's the spirit," she said. "Don't worry, I'm screaming internally. But it's officially the holidays, so you have to smile and be happy and shit."

"Is that a requirement for Midgardian celebrations?" Loki asked dryly, taking the bag of cranberries she handed him.

"Oh, yeah. Just you wait till we get to Christmas."

The only reply she got for that was a withering look, so she dragged them onwards. It took nearly thirty minutes to get all the fruit and vegetables, because Loki constantly stopped to prod at the more odd-looking ones. He nearly stabbed an old lady in the eye with a pineapple stem, and Wynn had to apologize profusely just to get her to stop calling Loki a 'cottonpickin' ninny'. Then, while she was trying to pick out onions for the stuffing, Loki began to unpeel the nearby bananas, and Wynn had to stash the naked fruit under the display table. All in all, it was a nightmare.

By the time they got to the frozen turkeys, Wynn was ready to kick Loki out on the sidewalk and tell him to wait, but was too scared of the trouble he'd get into _outside. _As she was digging through the icy birds, she heard Loki ask, "You do not slaughter your game fresh?"

"No, we – _oh my God_, Loki, put those down!" Wynn dropped the turkey back into the cooler so that she could snatch the box of condoms Loki had in his hands.

"Where did you even get these?" she hissed, shaking the small blue box at him like a mother would shake a finger at her child.

"It was lying on the ground. Why does it upset you?" he asked, and ripped the box back out of her hand without warning. Before she could take the item back, he had already flipped it over and read the text on the back. He looked up at her with a smirk, and said, "I see. But all it takes is a simple elixir to prevent that particular event from occurring."

"We humans don't have _elixirs_ for that sort of thing. Now would you please just get rid of it?" Wynn spat, and glanced around, only to awkwardly lock eyes with a man standing at the far end of the cooler. He looked between her and Loki, and then down to the box of condoms. With an approving smile, he gave Loki a thumbs-up, and Wynn nearly died on the spot.

She ripped the box from his grasp before he could do anything with it and stuffed the condoms under a frozen turkey.

"Here," she grumbled, shoving the heaviest dead bird she could find at Loki. "That should keep your hands occupied."

* * *

"Well, that was a complete mess," Wynn said as they left the store, hands full with heavy bags.

"It could have been much worse. Imagine if I had slain that old woman," Loki replied, readjusting the turkey in his arms. Wynn raised her eyebrows at him and scoffed.

"So suddenly you're a glass half-full guy? The only reason you didn't is because I took the pineapple from you. You're the only one I know who could look menacing using a fruit as a weapon."

"I'll assume that was a compliment."

Wynn rolled her eyes, but smiled. They walked down the sidewalk in a companionable silence, and it seemed hard to think that just the day before she had been fighting for her life. It was unsettling to think that they would be preparing and sitting down for a Thanksgiving meal when they practically had targets on their foreheads. Recalling the gore and the threats the succubus had hissed made her stomach coil with anxiety.

"Wynn?" Loki's voice cut through her thoughts and she startled to attention.

"Hm?"

He tipped his head back and she followed his gaze to see a thousand tiny snowflakes beginning to drift down. Wynn let out a short "ha!" and craned back until she was nearly bent in half, staring up at the grey sky. After a second, when her back began to ache, she straightened up and smiled over at Loki. She noticed he had snowflakes in his hair and eyelashes, and dare she say it, it almost made him look _pretty. _That thought she kept to herself.

"That's so weird. It usually doesn't snow till late December," she said, and then let out a snort. "But this year isn't exactly normal."

Loki hummed in agreement, but didn't say anything. They walked in silence for a few more minutes, the snow falling leisurely to the ground. Before long, Stark Tower loomed before them, and Wynn put down one set of bags to hold her palm up to the sensor. It had taken a good month before Stark would scan her hand and put it in the security system, but he had given in after she threatened to show everyone the video of him attempting to twerk.

On the elevator ride up, Wynn tried to mentally prepare herself for Darcy's questions. She knew the girl would want to know how the trip went, and Wynn _also _knew that she wouldn't be able to keep the condom incident quiet for long. Her big mouth tended to be a bad habit.

_Just remember, you're free of Stark's idiotic references for two months, _she thought desperately to herself, though even that didn't really help.

* * *

Stark actually helped them put the food away when they got upstairs, mostly because he was afraid Pepper would catch Wynn and Loki shelving the items alone. After all, Stark had been the good boyfriend and done the shopping (or so Pepper thought) and that would completely ruin his plan.

It didn't take long for Darcy to pounce and drag Wynn up to the bar, inquiring about every little detail. Something about the gods being schooled in Midgardian ways fascinated her to no end, so of course the pineapple story got her rolling. But as soon as Wynn mentioned the condoms, it was all over. Apparently Darcy thought the story was much funnier than Wynn did, as proven by the soda currently spouting out of her nose. She had mascara caked to her cheeks and was crippled over like she had been punched in the stomach.

"Oh my god, oh my god, that's perfect. That is literally the most perfect thing ever," she gasped, still laughing. Wynn massaged the bridge of her nose and, while she was glad Darcy was amused, the incident still lit her cheeks on fire. She just thanked her stars Loki had gone outside before Darcy had launched into her interrogation.

"Is something wrong with Lady Darcy?"

Wynn turned to the source of the familiar booming voice, and waved at Thor as he strode toward them, looking concerned.

"I believe she is having convulsions," Thor said, uncertain.

"Nah, she just peed her pants," Wynn replied flippantly. Darcy didn't even try to deny that one – she was too busy catching her breath. "Do you need something, big guy?" she asked.

"Do you know where Loki is? Stark told me you two had returned, and I expected to find him here."

"Sorry, he went outside for some fresh air. Don't ask me why, since it's still snowing…but it doesn't really matter to him, I guess," Wynn answered.

Thor frowned and looked past her, to the glass walls. The snow was coming down a bit harder now, but certainly nowhere near a storm.

"I must speak to him. Thank you, Lady Wynn. Lady Darcy…ah, feel better," he chortled, and gave Wynn a pat on the back as he passed, which nearly jarred her from the chair. The two watched as he walked outside onto the main balcony, bracing against the cold, and vanished up the stairs.

"So…we're totally gonna eavesdrop right?" Darcy asked, now that she was coherent.

"No!" Wynn snapped, and Darcy gave her a blank stare.

"Dude. Thor has to talk to Loki alone, after what happened yesterday? Don't tell me you _don't _want to hear that conversation."

"Of course I want to hear it, but what if they have to talk about, I don't know, weird sensitive brother topics?"

"…Are you serious. Whatever, I'm going. See ya never," Darcy scoffed, and bounded for the door, leaving a sputtering Wynn in her wake.

_It's wrong, so wrong_, she told herself, even as she jumped up and ran after Darcy. Wynn creaked open the glass door and saw Darcy crouching under the steps that led to the highest platform. At least it was out of the snow. She snuck up behind the girl, who put a finger to her lips.

"If you listen hard, you can sort of hear. Their voices bounce off the walls," she hissed, and Wynn leaned over her, both of them craning to look up. A snippet of conversation floated down, and Wynn saw Loki's arm fly out, as though he was making a wild gesture. The conversation didn't appear to be going well.

"We must speak to Odin…keep Jane safe."

That was Thor's voice, though she couldn't hear most of the sentence. Loki must have spat out something that Thor didn't want to hear in return, because suddenly the god of thunder was yelling.

"You know sentencing is not solely Father's responsibility! You must not blame him for your punishment, when it was you who put yourself there!"

"And you would have me go back there and look at his face as though I do not acknowledge the past two years? Are you daft?" Loki roared back, and Wynn felt Darcy flinch. "The same man who intended to use me as a pawn? Who watched without remorse as they sewed my mouth shut and left me in the cells, even when they flooded to the brim? You speak of punishment, _brother, _but I speak of cruelty!" Even though Loki was virtually screaming, he sounded weary. Defeated.

"Dar," Wynn whispered, "I think we should go now."

"Yeah," she agreed quietly, and they slipped back inside, leaving the two brothers to finish their argument.

Darcy pretended not to notice when a tear escaped from Wynn's eye and ran down her cheek, though she slapped it away as quickly as she could.

* * *

Wynn didn't see Loki until much later, even after Thor had thundered through the room and downstairs, probably to discuss the whole mess with Jane. Even Darcy had gone by the time Loki came back inside, leaving Wynn to her thoughts. She looked up from her tea when she heard the door open, and he walked in, covered in snow. He didn't say anything, but she could see him grinding his teeth.

"I got you a towel," Wynn said, pointing to the blue item folded at the end of the bar. "If you want it."

Loki stopped and clenched his hand once before snatching the towel. He dried his hair roughly as he brushed by her and disappeared. Wynn didn't even see a glimpse of him the rest of the day, but then again, she didn't go looking. If she went to talk with him, she'd probably get her head bitten off.

It was near ten at night before she was brave enough to make a visit to his room.

He was lying on the couch, book hovering over his face. Wynn leaned against the doorframe until he said, "Are you intending to talk, or just stand there and stare?"

"I just came to say goodnight," she replied, rubbing the back of her neck. "I, uh…"

"I'm not foolish. I know you and Darcy Lewis were listening to us." He finally turned his head to look at her, and Wynn wished he hadn't. He didn't even seem angry anymore; just drained, as though screaming at Thor had sucked him of all the energy he had.

Wynn pushed off of the doorframe and walked over to the couch, flopping down by his feet gracelessly. They were silent for a moment before she said, "Tell me what it was like. What it was _really_ like when you returned."

Loki lowered the book and propped it on his chest, staring at the ceiling.

"Although I had never truly been accepted into their society before, I returned as a leper. When I was taken to the House of Odin, I was spat at in the streets. None were blind to what I had done on Midgard." He paused and swallowed hard.

"Odin and the council sentenced me to the dungeons until further notice – when the council declares that, it is assumed one shall be there indefinitely. Asgard's executioner sewed my lips shut with thread enchanted to be unbreakable, and I lay in that bleeding cell for nearly two years. Frigga and Thor were my only visitors, discounting the Warrior's Three, who only came to lecture my actions…but that was nothing novel."

"Jesus," Wynn whispered, because really, what else could she say to that? Wynn licked her lips and asked hesitantly, "Do you regret what you did?"

"There are many things I regret, Wynn," Loki replied, not looking at her.

"Oh."

They sat in silence, the only sounds the softness of their breathing and the ticking of the clock on the wall. With a sigh, Wynn let herself fall to the side and onto Loki's legs, ear pressing to his knee.

"I don't care what you or Thor say," she said, glaring at the far wall. "I'm going back to Asgard with you. I think you deserve someone in your court for once. I'm rooting for you, Loki Laufeyson."

She got no reply but a quick drawing of breath and then a hand at her hair. He lay his fingers on the back of her skull in something like gratitude.

* * *

Wynn cracked her eyes open and lay in her bed numbly as her alarm clock screamed. The day had arrived in which she'd have to stick her hand up a dead turkey's ass and sit with all of Stark Tower's occupants at a table. Together. At once. Blessed Thanksgiving had arrived, and she wanted to weep.

At least she had ducked out of visiting the blood relatives, so there was her silver lining. Her mother didn't even bother to celebrate Thanksgiving anymore, and she had called her cousin Annabelle to tell her that she wouldn't be coming up to Vermont until Christmas. Normally, if she was in the States, Wynn would spend the holidays with her uncle, aunt, and cousin, but this year she was "on duty, couldn't come, Christmas time I promise, so sorry".

Which was worse? A bombed Uncle Jeremy or a wasted Tony Stark while Thor threw the gravy boat to the ground claiming that he required more for his "beaten potatoes"?

Silver lining. Right.

She dragged herself up and cycled through the morning routine; she said a little prayer on the way upstairs, hoping that she'd be able to start prepping in peace.

Nope.

"Wynn, hey!" Pepper screamed over three boiling pots, an egg beater (which Darcy had on about Level 5 to beat the filling for the pumpkin pie) and Thor smashing his fists into stale pieces of bread to make the base for the stuffing.

It was going to be a long, long day.


	20. A Swift Punch

**OVER 500. I literally screamed. You guys are the best ever, I swear. I love my readers. ;_; So...if the story stays on the track I have planned, Chapter 23 will require an M rating, and Chapter 22 will probably be seriously stressing the 'T' boundaries. Just wanted to warn ahead of time for anyone who doesn't read M. **

**Enjoy Thanksgiving with The Avengers and Co., you lovely people, you.**

**EDIT: Due to some reviewers asking - The M rating may be for gore later on, but I'm referencing Ch. 22 and 23 specifically for sexual situations. I am so sorry if there are loyal readers who don't want to see it/can't read it; you all at least have my promise it will be as tasteful as possible (we're not talking 50 Shades of Grey here, people, I'm not all into that). Any questions, feel free to PM me.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

All right, so apparently she should have woken up earlier. She didn't know everyone was getting up at the asscrack of dawn to start making food, and what was Thor doing here, anyway? Did he even know _how_ to cook, other than putting a Pop-tart in the toaster?

She was actually able to hear once Darcy shut off the eggbeater, but it was still loud, what with all of them rushing around each other, utensils banging; Stark's kitchen was about the size of a baseball stadium (rough estimate), and all the sounds seemed to bounce and magnify.

"Lady Wynn! Happy giving of thanks day!" Thor bellowed, and Wynn gave him a gold star for effort. Smiling, she patted him on the arm and gently pried the knife from his hand.

"Close enough. Why don't you go do something safe?" Wynn suggested, and Darcy butted in, "There is no safe. He doesn't even know what half this stuff is."

"Oh. Well then, as much as we appreciate the help, Thor…get out."

Wynn started shoving him toward the door, which was extremely hard considering it was like moving a brick wall.

"But it is the giving of thanks day! I show my thanks by helping," Thor explained even as he was blatantly being guided toward the exit.

"Go thank Jane for putting up with you, then," Wynn said, "Go on! I don't need you setting another towel on fire."

"That was one time, Lady Wynn. But if you want, I shall go."

Hanging his head, he exited the kitchen, looking dejected. Wynn rolled her eyes and turned back, grabbing the bag of onions on her way.

"What have you guys gotten done so far?" she asked, starting to rip the outer layer off one of the onions. She could already feel the tears coming, she was sure.

"Darcy has the pie filling done, I'm boiling the sweet potatoes now, Thor crushed the bread for stuffing, I made the cranberry sauce last night…what we really need done is the turkey," Pepper ticked off, and then smiled at Wynn. It took just a second for her to get the hint.

"Fine. But Darcy has to do the onions," she said, dropping the knife onto the marble counter. Darcy whined, but took Wynn's place so she could go hoist the turkey from the fridge.

"All right, big guy," she muttered as she plunked the bird down on a chopping block, "Sorry about the invasion of privacy."

After a great deal of chopping, stuffing, tying, and cursing, Wynn had finally gotten the turkey prepped and oven-ready. Loki had walked into the kitchen at one point to find her, but when he saw her elbow deep in a dead bird and Darcy sobbing over the onions, he turned and paced away without a word. Smart man.

Thor returned a while later with Jane, and was nearly offended when his girlfriend was let into the kitchen while he was told to leave.

"Sorry, dude. Only people who can coordinate food are allowed in the clubhouse," Darcy told him, unforgiving.

That got a grumble before he wandered off, taking Nanook with him, because the beggar wasn't allowed in the kitchen either. The rest of the men were just smart (or scared) enough to leave them alone.

"Hey, so I have a question for you," Darcy began, filling the pie while Wynn carefully crimped the edges.

"Hm?" she mumbled, hardly listening as she tried to fold the dough perfectly.

"What's with you and Loki?" she asked, and Wynn nearly ripped through the soft pie crust in dismay. Of all the questions she could have asked, it was _that? _Wynn could practically feel Pepper and Jane shuffle closer.

"Do we really have to talk about this now?" Wynn asked a little desperately.

"Why not talk about it now?" Darcy retorted. "There's no one here but the Tit Team. No guys, no trouble."

"Okay, one, did you really just call us the "Tit Team"? And two, she sort of has a point. But it's none of our business," Jane interjected, shooting a glare at Darcy, who shrugged.

"Not that we're not curious," Pepper added, still mashing the stuffing.

Wynn flipped her head back and forth, meeting all of their questioning gazes.

"There's nothing to tell. I mean, I think we're friends now," Wynn said, and Darcy snorted. "Yeah, friends with benefits, maybe. I mean, I did see him with his hand in your-"

"_Darcy!" _Wynn shrieked, cutting her off.

"Oh. Guess you didn't tell them."

"I don't think you need to finish the sentence, Darcy," said Jane, even though her eyebrows were nearly in her hairline with shock, like she couldn't quite process what Darcy was implying.

"That wasn't what you thought…okay, maybe it was, but it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Nothing since then. I mean, at first he was a total asshole and okay, he's still an asshole but in a Loki kind of way," she babbled, and Darcy rolled her eyes to the side.

"Whatever you say. Are we almost done? My feet are killing me," Darcy sighed.

"Almost. We should be eating by one or so," Pepper told her, and Wynn breathed an internal sigh of relief. Back to cooking – that she actually knew how to do, while discussing herself and Loki was an area of complete confusion.

* * *

Wynn should have never let Thor carry the turkey into the dining room. He had asked her over and over to allow him to bring the centerpiece in, and she had finally caved. Bad choice.

"On this giving of thanks day, I present a tor…a tirk…"

"Turkey," Stark drawled, chin in hand.

"Ah, yes, I present this turkey, which has been sacrificed to symbolize our eternal gratitude to the nine realms and that which span beyond!" Thor bellowed, slamming the turkey down in the middle of the table so hard Wynn was scared the glass might crack. She looked to her side where Loki was holding his head in his hands, probably wondering why he didn't notice that he was adopted sooner.

"Thank you, Thor," Pepper said, ever the gracious one. Thor smiled and sat down next to Jane, who looked like she was trying very,_ very_ hard not to laugh. Meanwhile, Darcy was nearly crying from the effort.

"Who's going to say grace?" Steve asked, being the first one to dive into formalities. Everyone looked around the table, bypassing Loki and Thor, who already seemed exceedingly perplexed as it was without prayers thrown into the mix. When Steve got no answers, he said, "I guess that means I will."

"Do we hold hands for our campfire song?" Stark asked, which earned him a sharp elbow from Pepper. Just to spite him, Steve took Clint and Darcy by the hands, all the while staring Stark down. Stark in return snatched up Pepper and Banner, returning Steve's glare. Wynn was sure she'd never seen anyone use hand-holding as weapons for an argument.

She massaged the bridge of her nose and took Darcy's hand, then held hers out to Loki. She figured that just sitting at the table was hard enough for him, and he didn't need to be grabbed without permission either. Raising a brow, he took her hand into his chilly one, obviously trying to ignore an expectant Thor beside him. With a sound of disgust, he gingerly held Thor's bear paw, not looking at him.

As Steve recited the original grace, Wynn gave Loki's hand a hard, reassuring squeeze. And while he still seemed like he was loath to be there, she saw his spine unclench a little.

"…Amen," Steve finished, and everyone dropped their grips with a sigh.

"Finally," Stark muttered, and then flapped his hand. "Start circulating! My stomach is eating itself," he rushed, and they did as they were told. Wynn tried to pass the potatoes while ducking as Thor flung pieces of turkey everywhere, hacking into it violently with a knife. Loki stared down at the mashed potatoes in complete revulsion, and Wynn knocked his elbow.

"They're good, I promise. They just don't look appetizing," she said, and he put one spoonful on his plate, lip curled.

"I see that as a theme in Midgardian food," he replied, shoving the potatoes at a distracted Thor.

"True. Barton, throw us some biscuits, please!" she said loudly across the table. Barton sent a handful of rolls flying at her, which she snatched until he threw one much too fast; it bounced off her hand and into the side of Darcy's head. Darcy went to flinch, and the bowl of green beans she held went splattering onto Banner's lap, who threw out a surprised arm and hit Stark so hard in the ribs he doubled over.

"Dude, I'm so sorry!" Darcy yelled while Banner was apologizing frantically to Stark, whose forehead had landed in his cranberry sauce. Loki let out a sharp bark of laughter beside Wynn, and she had to cover her mouth not to smile. When Stark finally got a grip on the side of the table and was able to prop himself up, he sent a snarl in Barton's direction.

"She did it," Barton said, pointing an accusatory finger at Wynn.

"Um, you threw the biscuit too fast," she defended, and he retorted with, "Well, if you weren't such a shitty catch…"

"This is why I spend holidays alone with alcohol," Stark wheezed, and Pepper poured her wine into his glass sympathetically.

"But celebrations are much more enjoyable with friends," Thor pointed out, and when Stark gave him a dead stare, he added, "…Normally. Who would like torkey?"

"Turkey, Thor, turkey. And please," Natasha told him, holding out her hands. Thor handed her the heavy plate, which she took easily. It was quiet for a moment, save for Banner's muttering and Darcy's hushed apologies as he tried to pick green beans off of his crotch.

"The first Avengers Thanksgiving, plus add-ons," Barton commented, shoving a piece of turkey in his mouth, "I'm okay with this being a tradition if Wynn cooks the bird next time, too. This is awesome."

"Thanks," she grinned.

"I bet the green beans were going to be good, too," Stark said, looking pointedly at Banner's soaked jeans.

"We'll agree to a four-way fault. Besides, you can technically still try them," Wynn replied, pointing at the bowl Banner was refilling with beans from his lap.

"Stark likes me, but not that much," Banner said, throwing another in the bowl.

"Never agreed more. Also, this stuffing is on-point. Kudos to whoever made it."

"I destroyed the breading with my bare hands!" Thor said loudly, as if he were reciting a war triumph. Jane patted his hand gently while Stark gave him a thumbs-up.

"Quite a feat," Loki said dryly, and before Thor could get offended, Wynn told him, "It actually is. Have you seen your brother in the kitchen?"

"Sadly, yes. It's not an appealing sight," Loki replied. Thor scoffed and muttered, "Coming from the one who tripped over his own feet attempting to slay a baby Bilgesnipe."

"I'm sorry, but was it I who disturbed the nest and sent the mother after us?" Loki snapped.

"We wouldn't have _been _there had you not needed those ridiculous herbs-"

"They were not even close to the-"

"For a spell that never even worked!" Thor finished, and Loki narrowed his eyes at his adoptive brother.

"I would have never required the herbs had you not begged me to make the spell." Leaning past Thor to look at Jane, he added, "To make an older woman lust for him."

Jane recoiled and Thor immediately spun in her direction, sputtering, "I was young and foolish, _much _before I met you, dearest Jane."

"I'm sure," the girl replied sourly, and Wynn saw Loki smirk to himself, satisfied that he had just gotten his brother in trouble. There was an awkward silence, before Stark wiped his mouth with one of the linen napkins and said, "This is going well."

"Eloquent as ever, Stark," Steve muttered.

"Oh, like you-"

"Can all of you just shut up and eat?" Natasha snarled, and Stark stopped in mid-sentence before shoving a biscuit into his open mouth. More silence, just the sounds of eating and Nanook whining under the table. He had pretty much slept through the commotion, but was awake now and begging. Wynn felt his heavy head rest on her knee and slipped him a chunk of turkey.

"Here," Loki said, pushing a piece of candied sweet potato to the edge of his plate, "It's much too sweet. Give it to him."

"Thanks," she said, spearing the piece of potato, and then paused. "Hey, you didn't call him a beast for once."

Loki raised one brow but said nothing. Instead, he pushed the rest of the potatoes aside for her to give to Nanook. Wynn glanced up, above Loki's head, and saw Thor staring at her, eyes flicking between Loki and herself. There was a weird smile on his face, like he was enjoying some private joke.

"Is this even beneficial for him?" Loki asked, and Wynn quickly snapped her attention back to his face.

"Huh? Oh, you mean is it okay for him to eat? It's not really healthy...but it's one day of the year, it won't make him fat or anything."

"He's already fat," she heard Stark mutter, and she gasped before pointing her fork at him.

"_Take that back_," she hissed, and Darcy leaned her head into Wynn's line of sight.

"Well, he sort of is," she pointed out.

"…He's pleasantly plump," Wynn admitted grudgingly, and for some reason, that hit Steve's deeply buried funny bone, because he literally spat his drink halfway across the table.

"Dammit, Steve!" Stark yelled, and Steve pressed his napkin to his mouth, mortified.

"You know," Banner said while Steve frantically tried to wipe at the wine he had just spouted everywhere, "I think this went well." Unlike Stark, his comment wasn't sarcastic.

When everyone turned to stare at him, he shrugged. "I mean, the turkey could have been burnt…just putting that out there."

_You're welcome, _Wynn thought smugly, and slipped another piece of turkey to a drooling Nanook.

* * *

The rest of the lunch went smoothly, having apparently purged any trouble-making tendencies from their systems. It was nearing late evening and they all had gone their seperate ways, agreeing to return once the food settled.

"To make room for dessert," Wynn explained to Loki, who couldn't wrap his mind around having to rest before eating more. The two were in the library at Loki's request, since he was trying to finish Milton's _Paradise Lost _and needed quiet after all of the chaos. Wynn was more than happy to go with him, seeing the opportunity for an after-food nap that she could take in peace.

She was dozing off when she heard Loki say something, and lolled her head over to look at him.

"Hm?"

"I asked if you had read this before," he said, holding the book up.

"I did, in high school. I actually liked it," she replied, and readjusted herself so that she wouldn't be as tempted to fall asleep when he was trying to talk.

"For all of their shortcomings, Midgardians can write fine literature," Loki said, turning the page.

"Our imaginations are neverending. When you think about it, the mind is so complex it's almost scary," Wynn told him, and he glanced up at her before agreeing. After that, he was back to the book, wholly absorbed. She leaned against the arm of the couch and watched him read, eyebrows dipped in concentration. The light in the room was soft, coming mostly from the fire and the tall reading lamp beside the couch.

Loki was completely in his element - surrounded by knowledge and a hushed atmosphere. Wynn imagined him in Asgard (for whatever it looked like), alone in the library or his room, reading and learning while Thor trained. For some reason, she wondered how he had been with women, if he had gone through an awkward stage. It was hard to imagine, honestly. Just because Loki preferred intelligence over brute strength, it didn't make him sloppy or ugly. Probably the opposite – with a little energy, she was sure he could charm the panties off of a girl.

_Like he did to me, _Wynn thought, and suddenly it was like she could feel his hand on her thigh again. And whether it was the lighting, the way he was sitting, those sharp-as-knives cheekbones, _whatever _– Wynn was abruptly and strongly attracted to him. It came out of nowhere, like a swift punch to the gut, and she felt like throwing up. Yes, she had been completely aware that Loki was very appealing in the looks department, but she had forgotten the fine line: there was a difference between attractive and _being attracted. _

Wynn slumped down into the couch, trying to calm her sudden heart palpitations, when Loki began talking again.

"I spoke to Thor," he said, "About going to see Odin. We reached a compromise - we will wait until the next waning cycle and attempt to eliminate Lilith ourselves. If we fail, which I doubt will happen, then we will travel to Asgard."

"That sounds like a solid plan. We just need to be much more prepared than last time," Wynn replied, not looking at him. "I'm glad you and Thor talked it out. I can't deal with all the testosterone floating around when you two fight."

"I wasn't aware."

"Do you need some water for that dry tone?"

He gave her a small smirk and cracked his book back open to where he held his finger. Wynn laid her head back down on the arm of the couch and closed her eyes, trying very hard not to think about said fingers.


	21. Lilith

**I remember saying last chapter we had reached 500. Lol. Right. Okay, so gore warning for this chapter, I suppose? Nothing explicit. Thank you all again for your reviews! And just a reminder, on Chapter 23, the rating will be going up.**

**Also, the last half of this chapter is in Loki's POV. **

**I apologize in advance for any typos; just let me know and I'll fix them. FF has been super wonky the past couple of days, and my .doc Manager has made it hard to edit.**

**EDIT: Due to a review saying the action scene seemed a bit short, I tweaked it a little. I'd tell them I tweaked it, but they were anon. So here you go, Anon! I hope it's a bit action-ery now. :)**

**Till next time!**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

The next few weeks seemed to rush by, and Wynn ached for them to slow. It was both terrifying and reassuring when you knew the enemy was coming for you. She wrote a constant stream of reports to Fury – what the occupants of the tower said, what they were doing, how they were preparing. It kept her mind busy observing everyone rather than worrying.

Stark was constantly in his lab, Banner right beside him, tweaking weapons, updating security. Barton and Natasha spent endless hours at target practice, and Wynn would join them occasionally. Slicing into the dummies with her machete over and over tended to ease her anxiety.

Thor was all over the place, attempting to train and tend to Jane all at once. With each week that passed, the poor girl got a little bit more nervous, and for good reason. She was a prime target, had no formal combat training, and on top of it all, just didn't deal with stress well. The only one who didn't seem on edge was Steve, but it was hard to tell with him, serious as he always was. He spent most of his time wailing on punching bags and lecturing Stark (more than usual).

And then there was Loki. He didn't bother with target practice, claiming that his aim never faltered, and instead focused on his magic. He did everything from what he called "the basics", which involved a lot of exploding light bulbs and flying objects, to things that, frankly, scared the crap out of her. He would move the shadows in the room until they were solid, using them like living constrictions, snarling them around the legs of chairs and snapping them in two. Once, he had asked her for a glass of water and transformed it into a black sludge, which he threw on a plant; the poor thing never had a chance, and literally melted away with an acidic hiss.

Loki insisted that Odin's hold on his magic was nearly gone, but some days he would drag himself from the room after a particularly hard spell, fatigued. But despite the fact that the training was exhausting him, he kept at it ruthlessly.

It was on the last day of the full moon when he called Wynn over, away from the dummy that she was currently chopping at. Barton and Natasha had cleared out when Loki came down to the vast training room, not wanting to be a casualty to any magic gone amiss.

Wynn wiped the small amount of sweat on her forehead away and walked over to him, laying her machete down on one of the metal prop tables.

"What's up?" she asked.

He pointed to the opposite end of the long room. "Walk about halfway, and charge me."

Wynn raised her brows and said, "Uh…pardon?"

"Run at me. Snarl if you so desire, it doesn't matter. Just seem threatening," he explained, seeming impatient.

"Okay. What's this for, anyway?" He waved his hand, and with a roll of her eyes, she began pacing until she was nearly fifty yards away. Turning to face him, she called, "Ready?"

"Yes," he called back, and she took off, rushing toward him as fast as her feet would take her. She had nearly arrived when he swiped two hands in front of his chest, and Wynn crumpled, hitting the floor hard. It was like her entire body had seized into a cramp; she lay against the cool concrete, trying to gasp for breath, but her lungs refused to expand. After a few seconds, she began to panic. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move, and it became horrifyingly clear that her heart had stopped beating.

And then, just as suddenly as they had frozen, all of her limbs relaxed and she inhaled deeply. Her heart stuttered a few times before the beat returned, if not a little too fast. The sound of boots approaching made her lift her head weakly, and she glared up at Loki.

"A crippling spell, to paralyze every part of the body. If mastered, it can reach inside, to the heart."

He held out a hand to her, and she reached to grasp it, the leather glove he wore cool on her skin. Wynn pulled hard on his arm, wobbling up on legs that felt like disturbed gelatin.

"Haven't I told you to send out a warning before you use a spell on me?" she snapped, but the anger of her words fell short.

"Had I told you, you would have hesitated. I needed an accurate simulation," he said, and squeezed her limp hand before releasing it. Wynn huffed a stray lock of hair from her face and stumbled past him to retrieve her machete.

"Tonight's the last night before the moon wanes, you know," Wynn stated, and Loki fell in beside her as they headed for the exit.

"I realize."

"And next week is Christmas. If we have to go to Asgard, we'll miss it," she paused, and added wearily, "I'll have to call Annabelle and break the news that I probably won't be coming up."

"I doubt that we'll be in Asgard for long, if we must go," Loki said, and Wynn hummed.

"Maybe I'll make it for New Year's, then. God, I feel stupid talking about the holidays when all of this shit is going on."

"Perhaps it's for the best, if it keeps you calm. We need clear minds."

"I know," Wynn sighed, and rubbed her neck. Above her head, the intercom clicked on.

"Miss Randall? Mr. Laufeyson? Mr. Stark requires you in the weaponry hold," Jarvis informed them in his neat voice, and Loki rolled his eyes quickly. Whether it was at his surname or the fact that they had to go see Stark, she wasn't sure. She guessed it was the latter - he walked slower than normal, and by the time they managed to get upstairs, everyone else was already there.

"So nice of you ladies to join us," Stark said as they entered. "Please, come, gather."

"Don't be sassy. We had a long walk," Wynn told him, sidling up next to Darcy. Loki gravitated toward the long metal table they were all standing around, but didn't come close. Wynn would have asked him to come closer, but knew he preferred to rest outside the group. Or maybe it was just habit.

"All right, as you all can see," Steve started, gesturing down at the table, which held a line of sleek silver guns, uniformly spaced out, "Stark has tested all of the weapons and they're ready to go. I want to run over the game plan one more time. Loki guessed that they'll attack tomorrow or the day after, when the waning moon is strongest. You've been assigned your levels. Loki, Wynn, Thor, you all are upper level. Natasha and Clint are mid-level; Stark and myself are lower. Banner, you'll be with the girls in the panic room. I want you there as the last resort if they somehow manage to get in. As soon as they're detected, Jarvis will sound an alarm."

Steve paused and looked around, meeting every gaze. "Any questions?"

Wynn raised her hand. "Uh, yeah. Are you sure I have to be stuck with Thor and Loki?"

"Lady Wynn! Do I offend you?" Thor asked, cutting Steve's reply off. She glanced over to Loki, who had narrowed his eyes at her.

"No, Thor, you're dandy. But if you two start fighting and I get a table cracked over my head, I'm going to be pissed. So can we agree to no arguing?"

"Yes!" Thor bellowed at the same time Loki sighed out a, "Fine."

"Okay, anything else?" Steve asked, and when he got only silence in return, he shrugged at Stark.

"Meeting dismissed, then. I call for an after-party at the bar," Stark said, clapping his hands together sharply. That, everyone could agree to, and they filtered out of the metallic room, heading for the elevator.

"Hey," Wynn said, grabbing Loki by the arm. He stopped and stepped aside grudgingly so Barton and Natasha could pass by.

"Yes?"

"I have to go do something real quick. Are you going upstairs with everyone else?"

"It depends. How long will you be?" he asked, and she shrugged.

"Not long."

"Then I'll go. I can only suffer them all for a short amount of time, so take haste," he said, and Wynn nodded. She let him go and took the stairs, managing to get to her room in record time. She shoved a few things off of her desk to where her cell phone was buried, hooked up to the charger. Wynn unplugged it and slowly searched through her contacts to find her mother's number. With a sigh, she hit _Send, _and the line began to ring.

After the fourth ring, she went to hang up, but the line clicked just as her finger went to end the call.

"Hello?" her mother's familiar voice said, and Wynn felt a rush of relief; her mother sounded sober and clear.

"Hey, Momma," Wynn greeted, and there was a brief pause before her mother replied, much brighter than before, "Hi, baby! How are you? I haven't heard from you in so long."

There was a short stab of guilt before she said, "I'm sorry, I've been so busy at work lately."

"Are you still working for that press firm? They keep you so tied up."

"Yeah, I know. I'm actually at work right now, so I only have a few minutes. But I wanted to call and tell you that I'll be free for New Year's. Are you going to Vermont?"

"Well, you know, your uncle always calls and invites me. I'll have to say yes this time, if you'll be there. It's so good to hear from you, baby. Are you eating enough? Have you met anyone?"

Wynn smiled, and felt her eyes prickle the slightest bit. This was the mother she loved and remembered, not the one who passed out with her head on the toilet seat. Feeling generous, she told her, "Yeah, Momma, I'm eating plenty, and I have met someone. It's not serious, though. He's just a friend."

"You're kidding. Bring him to Vermont!" her mother all but yelled, and Wynn had to wince away from the phone.

"We'll see about that. Anyway, I have to go. I've already spent too long on break. I'll, uh…I'll talk to you soon."

"Okay, okay, don't work too hard, all right? It was so nice to hear from you – I can't wait to see you. I love you," her mother replied, and Wynn had to clear her throat.

"I love you, too," she rasped, and disconnected. She breathed in hard through her nose and looked up at the ceiling, trying to keep the tears from spilling over. It was nearly impossible to think that she just hung up on the last phone call she may ever have with her mother. Wynn knew that just because they had a plan didn't mean it would follow its course. She had seen the succubi in action – it would be near a miracle if they all lived through the attack.

Laying the phone back down on the table, she left the room and headed for the bar.

* * *

Loki spun the dagger around his fingers absentmindedly, and Wynn let out a deep sigh next to him. He glanced over at her; she had her feet propped up on the table and was staring outside at the falling snow. It was late at night and the moon was high in the sky, a sliver missing from its body. The lights on the side of Stark Tower illuminated the top platform, and that somehow made it eerier than not being able to see outside, into the dark.

"I wonder if Thor got lost. He said he was just going to visit Jane…like, an hour ago," Wynn said, and winced when she pulled a piece of skin from her cuticle.

"He doesn't have any sense of time," Loki replied, and Wynn snorted.

"I could tell. I love the big guy, but damn."

Loki ground his teeth at her words, even knowing what she had just said was platonic; it made him bristle. Any praise for his brother was tiring, even more so coming from her. He searched for a reply that wouldn't sound irritated, but stopped short when a familiar feeling hit the air.

The heavy press of dark magic was abrupt and scraped at his nerves, like the bite of static electricity. All of his muscles tightened in response and he reached out to grasp Wynn's shoulder, startling her to attention.

"They're here," he said lowly, and he could feel her pulse quicken, thrumming hard under her skin.

"How do you know?" she asked, one hand going to the hilt of her machete.

"They're shrouding themselves; I can feel the dark magic."

He stood and she mirrored him, slowly pulling the weapon from its sheath. Whatever spell they were using was extremely potent – he couldn't pinpoint their location at all. It just felt like a heavy presence, omniscient and unrelenting.

Suddenly the alarm went off, and the voice of Stark's computer said loudly, "Intrusion in the lab; all exits locking."

"First level? I thought they – hey, Loki! Wait, wait!"

She ran after him, and barely managed to catch the door of the stairwell when he flung it open.

"Who's first level? Stark and Cap?" she yelled behind him, her voice barely louder than the clanging of their feet on the steps.

"Yes, and I would wager that Thor went for Foster, idiot that he is," he yelled back, and they fell into silence as they descended down the tower. He heard her curse a few times, either from the number of stairs or the fact that she kept banging her elbow on the railing.

When they got to the lab, all of the glass walls were blown out, and half of the equipment was in pieces. There was no sign of anyone living, but two succubi littered the floor, sizzling holes where their hearts had been.

"That's Stark's blast. Where did they go?"

"If their magic is skilled enough that I can't detect their positions, then they already know where Foster is."

"The panic room is two floors down," Wynn told him, already backing for the stairwell. It happened in one burst of action – a roar from the Hulk nearly shook the tower; at the same time a smooth, white hand slid from the wall and grasped the girl by the throat. She was snapped back into the concrete, her head colliding so hard that there was a smear of blood left when the succubus dragged Wynn into her arms. The machete clattered to the ground, useless.

Loki inhaled hard, and held out his hands, immediately assessing as much as he could. The woman met his eyes and dragged a sharp fingernail down Wynn's cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.

"Such a precious thing," she murmured, holding Wynn in an embrace that almost seemed loving if one were to ignore the armored forearm crushing her windpipe.

"I'm impressed. Your magic is superlative; I didn't even notice you in the wall," he said, shifting a dagger into his palm.

"I trained myself and my children well," she replied, and when she smiled, he could see the point of her teeth. He tried to ignore the way Wynn gasped for air, struggling to breathe.

"Lilith, then, I assume?"

"Yes, Loki Odinson. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I have to say, you don't look much like your father."

"I suppose I don't. You know, I nearly expected you to evade this fight. Your subordinates have done all of the work thus far," he commented, taking another small step to the side. Her silver eyes flickered down to his feet and then back up to his face.

"Daring words, when I have her in my arms. Your air is so casual; what would you do, then, if I snapped her neck now?"

"Try," he said, gripping the dagger tighter, "because the sooner you do, the sooner I may rip your heart from your chest."

A screech echoed from the floor below, and he saw her jaw tighten with anger. There – he took the distraction, and with the smallest flick of his fingers, sent Wynn's machete careening up and into Lilith's calf. He could hear it shred through the flesh even as she screamed and threw Wynn to the side, choosing instead to lunge for him.

He snatched her by the throat and grunted, feeling her hand snap through the joint in his armor and dig hard into his bicep. She was close enough that he could smell the rot of her breath, see the yellowing on her teeth. He pitched her to the ground and she took a good chunk of his flesh with her, ripping his shoulder plate completely off.

Lilith rolled to her feet just as the stairwell door went flying open, another succubus hurtling out. Loki saw shock flicker through her face at Lilith's wounded position just before a blast of energy ripped through her chest. Lilith let out a cry of rage when the succubus fell to the floor, and quickly ducked when Wynn shot off another round. Loki seized her moment of unbalance, flying forward to snatch a handful of her thick red hair, only to have her fist connect with his cheekbone. Had it been a mortal, their knuckles would have shattered, but he could practically feel his jaw creak from the impact.

He twisted his hand tighter into her hair and rotated his torso, flinging her out of his grip and into the nearest wall. He heard something crack when her face collided with concrete, and a few bloodied teeth fell to the ground. Spitting, she spun around and pressed herself to the wall, eyes nearly liquid with rage.

"You were prepared, Odinson," Lilith snarled, "I only hope the rest are as lucky as you."

She took a quick step to the side and dissipated, body disappearing from sight with the smallest swirl of black smoke. Behind him, he heard Wynn's ragged breathing, and he turned to see her bent over, hands on knees. Loki stepped over the body and lay a hand on the crown of Wynn's head; her hair was sticky with blood, but the abrasion had already closed.

She stood, tucking Stark's weapon back into its holster, and he let his hand fall.

"You okay?" she rasped, and cleared her throat. "She shredded your arm."

"It's fine. We need to go."

"Yeah, I know," she said, and followed him into the stairwell, snatching up the bloodied machete on the way. As they tromped their way downstairs, he heard her ask, "Was that really Lilith? Like, the one who runs this whole operation, Lilith?"

"So it would seem. No one else would have been able to disguise themselves so well, nor get a hand on me," he replied, and stepped down harder than was necessary. A flare of anger bit at him, but he kept going. There was nothing he could do about Lilith now - she was far gone by now.

When they reached the floor of the panic room, there was no noise, no commotion. He flung the door open and stepped out into the hallway. There were three bodies on the floor, and the metal door to the panic room sat gaping.

"Shit, where's Banner? Where are any of them?" Wynn asked, pushing a hand through her hair.

"When Lilith left, I suspect the rest of them followed. There's nothing on this floor but the panic room, yes? They must be waiting to meet us at the upper level," Loki replied.

"...We're taking the elevator this time," Wynn grumbled, and stepped over a body to slam her fist down on the call button. With a sigh, she leaned against the wall, and he wandered over slowly. She looked over at him and he saw her assess his arm.

"Are you sure you're okay? There's a lot of blood."

He twisted his arm; the laceration was short, but deep.

"It's stopped bleeding already. It will heal soon enough."

The tinny _'ding' _of the elevator cut off any reply she could come up with, and they shuffled in. The machinery whirred, lifting them upwards, and he felt a warm hand on his. He glanced over at Wynn, who was staring at the buttons, biting hard into her bottom lip.

"I'll be honest, that scared the shit out of me," Wynn said, and squeezed her fingers around his palm. Loki allowed her to hold onto him until they reached their destination, and when the doors open, her hand fell away. Thor's booming voice was the first thing waiting to greet them.

"They knew where the women were! It was an utter - brother! Lady Wynn!" Thor raised an arm at them, and there was a tired chorus of greetings. The doctor lay with his head on the glass table, Pepper Potts holding an ice pack to his skull. There wasn't anyone around the table who looked untouched - Agent Romanoff sat quietly as a bruised Agent Barton applied gauze to her bleeding shoulder; Stark was sitting on the floor, attempting to pick glass pieces from his leg; Steve Rogers was soaking pads with alcohol and laying them across his thigh.

"You guys look like crap," Stark commented as they approached, and Wynn nudged his shoe.

"Pot calling the kettle black. What happened down there?"

"They went right for the panic room and managed to crack the code. Banner hulked out and took down a couple. When me and Cap got there, one of 'em was dragging Jane down the hallway by her hair."

Jane raised her sling and said wearily, "True. I have the bald spot to prove it." Beside her, Darcy Lewis shuddered.

"How did you fare, brother? You are hurt," Thor said.

"Lilith attacked near the stairwell and got a hold of Wynn. I was able to wound her, but she escaped," Loki admitted, clenching his fist.

"_Lilith? _Did you get any information out of her?" Rogers asked.

"Not a bit," Loki replied, and glanced at Thor, who had grown solemn. It was obvious what had to happen now, and a heavy silence settled over the group.

"So, will we need oxygen tanks for traveling to Asgard, or what?" Stark asked, and Banner lifted his head slightly.

"If I wreck Asgard, I aplogize in advance," he grumbled, and lay his head back down.

"So that's it?" Wynn said hesitantly, turning to look at him, and then Thor. "We have to go see Odin?"

"It seems that way, Lady Wynn," Thor told her, and reached out to hold Jane's shoulder gently. "We leave at first light."


	22. Forbidden

**Asjkajkjaja over 700! You guys are amazing. Also, I'll have you notice that the rating has changed to M; I don't want to get in trouble. For anyone who didn't want to read the M: The particular scene occurs at the end of this chapter and the beginning of the next.**

**But you guys might beat me up once you get to the end, anyway, sooo...I hope you like it?**

**I'M OUT.**

**EDIT: Added some revisions to the chapter. Hopefully it's a bit more accurate now.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

Wynn knew that she was dreaming with the innate sense that dreamers often possess. It was dark, nighttime, and she was back at her old house in Florida. She stood at the entrance of her childhood bedroom, and even though she knew something was waiting for her beyond the door, she reached out to open it anyway.

The room was the same as she remembered – bright yellow walls, her raggedy stuffed giraffe lying on the bed, old oak dresser with her gymnastics and JROTC medals. A normal room for what had been a normal girl – but the white carpet was awash with red. Wynn slowly looked down at Loki's body lying crumpled on the floor, Lilith bent over him, stroking his cheek like a lover would to provide comfort. Each stroke left another trail of blood.

"Such a precious thing," Lilith murmured, and smiled brightly, teeth matted with gore.

Wynn's own screams jolted her awake.

Breathing raggedly, she quickly looked around the room as she wiped frantically at her sweaty face. White walls, modern furniture, glass table and a TV in the wall. The room in Stark's tower.

_Just a nightmare, pull it together, _she thought, and held her head in her hands. It took a moment for her heart to calm, and when it did she glanced over at the clock. 6:30 in the morning.

"Shit," she cursed, and scrambled from the bed, getting stuck momentarily in the damp sheets. Jerking her leg free, she rushed into the bathroom and cranked on the shower. The sun would rise in an hour, and they had all agreed to meet upstairs by the bar; if she didn't hurry, she'd keep them waiting.

Wynn went double-time, scrubbing the sweat from her hair, focusing only on the water and not her nightmare. She pushed all thoughts to the back of her mind – Loki's body, Lilith's rotted breath, the succubi that had littered Stark Tower. It would be impossible to function normally if she dwelled on it; perhaps seeing Loki, alive and mischievous as ever, would help ease the knot in her gut.

After speeding through her normal routine, she began flinging clothes in different directions, searching for something that she wouldn't be embarrassed to meet the king and queen in. It was probably bad enough that poor Loki would have to introduce her (though the irony was fitting), so she could at least look presentable. She finally decided on a green eyelet dress; according to Thor, it was warm in Asgard at the moment, and Wynn looked forward to escaping winter for a while. Escaping their _realm._

The thought made her move ten times faster.

* * *

"Hurry up," Stark demanded, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Charge up the Battery of Fate there and let's get crackin'." Wynn almost wanted to agree with him, chattering as she was. She hugged herself tightly for warmth and tried to ignore the snow that was melting in her boot.

"If you're referring to the Tesseract, it needs a moment to calibrate. We must be careful with this number of travelers," Thor replied impatiently.

"Yeah, yeah," Stark muttered, and turned around to wave at Pepper, who was standing inside. She and Darcy waved back, while Barton gave him a friendly middle finger. Both he and Natasha had elected to stay behind and keep an eye on things, though Wynn suspected it was like getting a free vacation.

"It's ready," Loki said, and Wynn returned her attention to the group. She noticed the Tesseract was glowing an even brighter blue beneath the glass.

"Hold firmly to someone else," Loki continued as he and Thor gripped the handles of the container, "and do not let go for any reason. The impact of our arrival could easily toss you from the Bifrost."

_This is it, then._

Jane leeched onto Thor, with Steve holding her arm firmly. Wynn felt a hand grasp her by the elbow and she turned to look at Stark, who was holding a reluctant Banner's hand.

"We're on our honeymoon," Stark said blankly.

"You make a beautiful couple," Wynn replied, smirking when Banner pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Shall we get there _today_?" Loki called loudly, and Wynn rolled her eyes.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch," she muttered, and wrapped one arm around his waist.

"Please keep all hands and feet inside the moving space tunnel at all times," Stark said behind her, and without warning, the two gods twisted the handles. For a split second, nothing happened, and then the air completely left Wynn's lungs. There was no concept of position or shapes – there was only a rushing color that stung her eyes so badly that she had to squeeze them shut. The grip of Stark's hand on her arm grew faint compared to the immense pressure on her body, and she managed to grip Loki tighter, terrified of slipping away.

With a vast and sudden _whoosh_, Wynn collided into Loki's back so hard that she thought her nose was broken from hitting his shoulder blade. It didn't help that Stark smashed into her, along with Banner. Beneath her, she could see what apparently was the Bifrost; it looked like glittering glass, translucent enough that she could watch the moving water far below it.

"Dear mother," Stark wheezed, and stumbled away from her. "That was worse than an acid trip."

"We're here?" she heard Jane ask, and Wynn unglued her face to look around Loki and out. The view was, to put it mildly, breathtaking.

"Holy shit," she murmured, and slowly let go of Loki, stumbling away. In the distance was Asgard, gleaming upon what looked like mountains of rock that emerged from the sea. The buildings, even from their distant position, were huge and some were, _hell_, even rotating above the ground. High above the city, two twin moons sat in the soft blue sky.

"Welcome to Asgard," Thor said proudly, and swept a hand out like he was presenting a game show prize.

"It's…shiny," Banner commented, sliding his glasses onto his collar.

"It's _amazing,_" Jane nearly breathed, and Steve nodded in agreement. "Even more than I thought."

"It is my home," Thor laughed, and placed a hand on the small of her back. "Come, my friends. It is a long walk to the city. Heimdall, would you inform my father of our arrival?"

"Yes," replied a deep voice, and they all turned to gawk at the man standing only twenty yards away. He was dark-skinned, dressed in gold, and held a sword firmly in front of him. Beyond his position, the bridge splintered where Thor had broken it a few years back.

"Sorry, sir, we didn't even notice you," Steve apologized, and Stark snorted.

"It is fine," Heimdall said, continuing to gaze forward. There was a beat of awkward silence when he said nothing else, only kept staring off at nothing…or at least, she _thought_ it was nothing.

"He's scarier than Stark without coffee in the morning," Wynn whispered to Loki, and watched as Heimdall's mouth twitched into what she thought was a smile.

"Apparently, that amuses him. You remember the title 'gatekeeper' and 'sees all things', do you not?" Loki hissed back, and Wynn gaped up at him.

"You were serious?"

That only earned her a sarcastic, "No, of course not," which she elected to ignore. Thor called for them to start walking, and they did, settling in for the long haul. About twenty minutes into the hike, Jane was still babbling excitedly to Thor, who nodded in support as she flailed and pointed. Banner and Stark were talking about molecular gastro-something while a very confused Steve walked beside them, scratching his head from time to time.

"Are you nervous?" Wynn asked Loki, who had barely spoken since they had moved off.

"No. There is no chance of me being imprisoned for such a short time," he told her.

"Yeah, but what about your dad?"

"He does not concern me," Loki said shortly, but though he kept a straight face, she had a nagging feeling that he might be lying. But Loki was the master of lying, after all, so it's not like she could know for sure, and she wasn't about to call his bluff.

"So what do I do, when we meet them? Do I kneel?"

"Yes, that is expected of everyone. I anticipate Frigga to greet you warmly, though. She'll also ask you to introduce yourself."

"Middle name too?"

"Yes, middle name too," Loki said with the hint of a smile.

"Sorry, I know my questions seem ridiculous. But for someone who's never been in front of royalty, I'm clueless. I could always salute them and not speak until spoken to, but I don't know if the military approach would really work."

"Be polite, but not fearful or curt. I would tell you to just act normally, but I don't believe that would go over quite so well."

"…Thanks."

* * *

Wynn craned her head back, but even then she could barely see the top of the palace. It looked like the flutes of a grand organ, the golden walls piped in cylinders. It was certainly the oddest building she'd ever seen, but also the most beautiful. A set of guards pulled open the tall silver doors and Thor led their group forward. Wynn cast one last look at the suspended bridge they had just crossed, the guardian statues looming at the sides, before rushing to catch up with Loki.

"Killer-diller," Steve exclaimed softly, staring at the tall domed ceiling.

Stark gave him a withering look and said, "We left the 40's a while ago, Boy Wonder."

"Leave him be. It's true," Banner said, and Stark rolled his eyes, but mercifully kept his mouth shut.

"This is only the start. I will take you all to see the rest once we speak with my father," Thor told them, and led them through the large hall. Wynn marveled at the tall golden walls and the smooth black floors; all of the hues seemed both soft and shining. It was grandiose in the finest.

They passed by tall windows, and Wynn leaned a bit to look out at the city below them. She could see people milling around in the far courtyard beside a huge fountain. In front of her, Stark whistled lowly.

Then, past a set of pillars, emerged a platform – the floor below was etched with golden designs, leading only to another bit of stairs. And there sat Odin Allfather at the throne, the fire pits beside him making his eye patch glow. A tall, willowy woman stood beside him, her blonde hair falling in curls down her back. When she saw Thor at the head of the group, her face split into a smile.

Thor practically bounded down the steps and the rest of them followed, albeit with less enthusiasm. The woman, who Wynn assumed with Frigga, ran down the steps after gathering her dress in her hands. She met Thor halfway and enveloped him in an embrace.

She spoke happily in another language, one Wynn wasn't familiar with, and after a moment let him go. Wynn tried not to stare when she pulled Loki into her arms with the same warmth and whispered something into his ear.

"And you have brought allies," she said in English, gently moving Loki to the side so that she could stand in front of them. Wynn glanced at Banner, who was staring at Stark, who was staring at Steve, and poor Jane was trying to look at all of them at once. There was a brief moment of pure confusion before they all knelt to the ground, except for Stark, who did some sort of half-bow.

"Rise," Frigga laughed, "Please, tell me what they call you."

"Mother, this is-" Thor started, but she shushed him.

"They are perfectly capable of speaking for themselves. Now go address your father, he has many questions. Loki, would you please stay?"

Thor nodded and left them to make his way up to the throne, while Loki seemed relieved at his not having to go see the Allfather. Frigga set her eyes back at them and asked again, "Your names?"

"Jane Foster, your highness."

Frigga smiled and said, "Oh, I've heard much of you. We shall speak more later, yes?"

Jane nodded quickly, and Frigga moved her gaze to Stark.

"Anthony Stark, your highness."

"Steve Rogers, ma'am."

"Bruce Banner, your highness."

Frigga nodded at each of them when they introduced themselves, and finally her eyes lit on Wynn. It took a second for her to gather her bearings before she managed to say, "Wynn Marie Randall, your highness."

There was a small beat of silence before Frigga said calmly, "The Gatekeeper told me of you. You are the one with whom my Loki is enamored with, yes?"

"Um…" Wynn stuttered, and looked over to Loki, which was no help; he acted like someone had just flashed him or grabbed his crotch without permission. Wynn would have laughed at the extreme distress on his face if she hadn't been busy scrambling for an answer.

"My director assigned me to accompany – I mean, keep him company…ah, make sure he settled into Midgard, ma'am."

"Hm. Well, wasn't it my son's luck that your…director, was it? How nice that Loki was put in the hands of someone so beautiful." Frigga cast a sly glance at Loki, and asked, "Don't you agree, Loki?"

And Loki, the _Loki Laufeyson_, was actually stumped. He opened his mouth briefly only to shut it again, and cleared his throat before saying, "She is."

_Oh dear God, _Wynn thought wearily, and risked a peek at Stark. He, of course, looked like he was about to piss himself; Wynn could practically see the strain of self-control he was using to hold in his laughter. Frigga gave Loki a satisfied smile and turned back to Wynn.

"And you must tell me later about his courting. My Thor was quite skilled at courting women, but Loki has never even brought a woman to a ball."

"_Mother,_" Loki hissed at the same time Stark lost it and let out a loud snort. Steve beat him on his back and said quickly, "I am so sorry, ma'am. My apologies."

"Frigga? What transpires?" Odin called from atop the stairs as Stark breathed in deeply, managing to corral himself.

"Nothing, my King."

_Today just gets better and better._

"As you say. Come, my guests, we have matters to discuss. Let us go to the sitting room," Odin called, and came down the stairs with Thor following closely behind. Frigga swept past them, pausing only to lay her hand on Jane's shoulder and whisper something in her ear. The girl smiled brightly and Wynn could hear her reply, "Yes, Thor is behaving just fine, ma'am."

"This would be the day I wish I had worn my video camera glasses," Stark told her lowly as they followed Odin out of the throne room.

"Way to lose your shit, Stark," Wynn hissed at him.

"There was no way I could keep it. Did you see his face?"

"Parents are supposed to be embarrassing. Now shut up."

Odin led them into a large circular room that had a deep fire pit burning softly in the middle. A variety of high-backed couches and seats surrounded the fire; shadows in weird shapes were cast onto the walls, and Wynn couldn't decide if the ambiance was comforting or creepy.

"Please, have a seat. My son has told me why you visit," Odin said, and settled himself into a love seat, moving his cape aside so that Frigga could sit primly beside him. Thor, Jane and Steve managed to fit onto one of the larger couches, while Stark and Banner remained the eternal science squad by plopping down next to each other. That left Loki and Wynn to sit thigh-to-thigh on the remaining loveseat, which wouldn't normally be bad if Frigga hadn't been watching their every movement with an approving smile on her lips.

"I apologize that we must meet each other under such grim circumstances," Odin began, folding his hands, "but if what Thor and the great Heimdall tell me is the truth, which I know it is, then we are running out of time. I did not think this day would ever come, but alas. This woman, she is known as Lilith on Midgard, I hear. Once, she was known as Herja, and I am ashamed to admit that the fault belongs only to myself. When I was young and had just come into my title, she was a part of the court. One of the Valkyrie, to be exact, and an esteemed one at that. But she fell to ruin."

"A Valkyrie, sir? I don't follow," Steve said when he realized that most of them were just as confused as he was.

"The Valkyrie decide which warriors shall die and win in battles. They bring the chosen dead to Valhalla, and those dead become _einherjar_. It is said when Ragnarok comes, the einherjar shall be our army," Thor explained.

"Ragnarok? That's like an apocalypse, isn't it?" Stark asked, and Thor nodded before immediately turning his attention back to Odin.

"The einherjar are extremely vital to our triumph," Odin stated, "and Herja often chose what later became some of the best warriors. But she was arrogant, cruel, and began to let more men die - men that she never brought back to Valhalla. She was slaughtering in droves, claiming that she would only pick the worthy ones, but I saw that she was ending their lives in spite. Each time that I approached her, she became more fervent, more wild. Soon, she and another of the Valkyrie came to blows and Herja murdered her. I had no choice but to banish her, which was wrong of me. I should have killed her when I had the chance.

I do not know what she saw, what worlds she traveled, but when she came back, she had an army – monstrous daughters that she had trained for battle. I thought them all dead, but I see now that Herja must have worked some sort of black magic to revive herself. Why she is attacking now, or how she knew where to find you…I do not know."

When Odin finished, he rubbed his temples as though he was exhausted.

"Why did we not know of this before?" Thor asked his father in a tone that seemed almost irritated.

"It was very long ago, even before the war with Laufey. I made sure it was a quiet affair, to keep the people calm. Had Herja succeeded in killing me, she would have driven Asgard into chaos."

"And we don't want her to get that chance, sir," Steve said, "Is there anything you can tell us that will give us a leg up?"

"An advantage," Thor elaborated.

"There may be one thing, an item, though it is long hidden. Until I can find it I can only give you a name; ride to the home of the Valkyrie tomorrow and speak with Brunhild. She is the only one left alive that will remember Herja. She may also be able to provide you with more information."

Odin stood then, and held out an arm for Frigga. "You are dismissed - I am sure the travel has worn on you."

"The servants will show you to your rooms," Frigga announced, walking to peek her head out of the door and summon them.

"Thank you, father," Thor said, and Odin lay a hand on his shoulder in silence. Then he looked past Thor and to Loki for the first time since they had arrived.

"Loki. A word, please."

Wynn glanced at Loki, whose jaw had tightened, but he obeyed. Frigga called for them and Jane gave her a little push forward.

"C'mon," she whispered, "He'll be fine."

They followed Frigga into the hallway, where three girls were waiting for them.

"This is where I leave you, but we shall speak later, I am sure," Frigga promised warmly, and with a smile, slipped back into the sitting room. Nothing was said for a moment as they followed the girls down the hall until Stark broke in.

"Can we all just agree that that was weird as hell?"

"Weird, but helpful," Banner sighed, and took his glasses off.

"I never suspected. The story is not in any books, nor documents. My father kept this secret hidden well," said Thor, and Wynn couldn't tell if he was angry or impressed.

"But at least he knows what's happening and is going to help instead of thinking we're crazy," Jane commented, and Thor nodded slightly in a grudging agreement. Suddenly, Wynn felt a hand at her elbow, and looked up to see that Loki had caught up with them. His face was carefully neutral.

"Ah, brother, you've returned! How did it go?" Thor asked.

"Just fine," Loki answered shortly. Thor gave him a small smile and they fell into silence, each one of them absorbing all of the new information. It was hard to wrap the mind around, but if you squinted, the story made sense. Odin banished Herja from Asgard just as God later banished Lilith from Eden. She didn't know who the angels were supposed to be, but the 'monstrous daughters' bit certainly lined up with the folklore. The parallels were hazy, but they definitely existed.

"Thor!" a voice rang out from behind them, and they all turned to see a woman jogging down the hall, three tall men behind her.

"Sif! My friends!" Thor greeted, and moved to give them all hard hugs.

"We had just gotten back from the city when one of the guards told us of your return," Sif said, slapping him hard on the back before smiling at Jane. "And you've brought Jane. How do you like Asgard?"

"It's beautiful," Jane replied.

"And who are they, then? More Midgardian friends?" asked the large, pot-bellied man as he smoothed his red beard.

"Yes! This is Tony Stark; he is the man of iron. Bruce Banner, a man of science and gamma rays. Steve Rogers, soldier. And Wynn Randall, soldier and Loki's…friend."

"He just had to put that last part on there," Stark muttered to Wynn, who had slapped a hand to her face, before saying loudly, "Hey, I'm the man of iron."

"You don't look to be made of iron," the large man said, confused, and Stark smiled dryly. Thor looked between the two groups before holding a hand out.

"This is Sif and the Warriors Three – Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg."

"I recognize that one!" Wynn crowed, "I've heard about Volstagg."

"Have you?" Volstagg asked. "Has Thor told you of my battle prowess? My indomitable appetite?"

"…Something like that," she said, and beside her, Loki made a small sound that she thought was a suppressed snort. Volstagg looked between them warily before Fandral shoved past him.

"Ah, but any friend of _Thor's _is a friend of ours. My lady," he crooned, and reached to grip Wynn's hand. It took one horrifying split-second to realize that he was going to kiss her knuckles, so instead she gave his arm a hard shake and smiled stiffly.

"My lady, it is common courtesy for a man to kiss the woman's hand in greeting," Fandral told her. Wynn grit her teeth, but then realized she was probably looking extremely rude at the moment, so she apologized and allowed him to press a kiss to her knuckles.

"We just shake hands on Earth. Same idea," Steve pointed out, noticing Wynn's discomfort.

"Is that so? How odd," Fandral said, and moved to take Jane hand before Thor braced an arm against the man's chest.

"You've greeted Jane before, yes, my friend?" Thor said, but despite the warm tone in his voice, his eyebrows had narrowed downward. He may as well have stamped "Property of Thor, God of Thunder" on Jane's forehead by the _'don't try it'_ look he was giving Fandral. The man slipped back beside Hogun, grumbling something under his breath. Wynn shook her hand, trying to get the feel from his mustache off of her skin, jealous that Jane had gotten a free pass.

Sif rolled her eyes before she asked, "Will you be showing them about?"

"Perhaps later," Thor replied. "They should rest after the journey they've had. Allow me to settled Jane first and then I must speak with you all."

"Till later, then; we will find you in the dining hall. It was our pleasure to meet you," Sif said, and with a small bow, turned to head back the way they had come, the other three in tow.

"Charming mustache on that one," Stark said to Wynn after they were out of earshot. "Did he leave hair burns?"

"Fandral is a good man, but he tends to be a bit too friendly," Thor said, attempting to vouch for his friend.

"That's an understatement," Loki grumbled.

"Don't be sour, brother. You've never liked him anyway."

Loki gave no response but a scoff to that, and Banner held up his hands.

"As much as I love the witty banter, I'm about dead on my feet here, so..."

"Yes, we're going," Thor replied apologetically, and waved on the servant girls, who had been waiting patiently against the wall. It wasn't much farther down the hall when Loki stopped at a heavy door.

"The guest rooms are the next wing over. I shall see you all shortly," he said, pushing the door half-open. Thor held up one hand and kept moving with the rest of them, but Wynn stopped before she called, "I'll find my way over in a bit!"

All of them looked back to give her odd stares - which she waved off - before she turned to Loki.

"Sorry, I need to talk to you about something. Can I...?"

"I don't see why not," he said, and disappeared into the room, Wynn following closely. She only made it a few steps in before she paused to gawk.

"This is, like, the size of my apartment," Wynn commented as Loki shut the door firmly behind them. The ceiling was high like the rest of the palace, and two twins fire pits cast light on the walls. There were large, gnarled wooden bookcases against the far side and a bed - approximately the size of three mattresses from the tower combined - sat in the middle.

"I can't even - is that silk? And damn, look at all of those books," Wynn murmured, almost to herself. She pinched a bit of the dark green sheets between finger and thumb. The bedsheets alone probably cost more than her yearly salary.

"You're interrupting yourself again," Loki told her, "And have a look, if you'd like."

She paced over to one of the bookshelves and yanked out a leather-bound one at random, cracking it open. Her eyes met a mish-mash of words that she had no hope of deciphering.

"Um..."

"It's written in our native language. Asgardians are well-versed in many tongues, but like any culture, we have our own," Loki explained, peering over her shoulder.

"I don't even know where to begin with this," she grumbled, pointing to one of the words. The letters weren't anything she had seen before - they looked more like runes than anything.

"It's pronounced _ras-vem-ma," _Loki said, and the word tumbled off his tongue smoothly.

"Rah-wem-ma."

"Put more of a 'v' sound to it. Watch my mouth. _Ras-vem-ma." _

Wynn narrowed her eyes, and licked her lips in preparation (as if that would help). When she echoed it the next time around, he smiled approvingly.

"So perhaps you're not hopeless after all. Try another." He nodded down at the book and she bounced it in her hands. Staring at the pages so she wouldn't have to meet his gaze, she asked, "So what did Odin want?"

There was a brief hesitation before Loki said, "He informed me that if I continued as I have been, there is a good chance I will not be imprisoned again once our business on Midgard is through. Apparently he's been keeping a close eye."

"Loki, that's great news!" Wynn smiled and bumped him with her shoulder. "See, it hasn't been so bad after all."

There was a beat of silence, and she vaguely noticed a shift in the air, like a sudden tightness. Wynn closed the book nervously and turned her head to meet Loki's gaze. A heavy feeling settled in her abdomen - she recognized that look. It was the same look from the night of the party, when he had healed her, and...well. Wynn could almost see herself reflected in his pupils, blown as they were.

"I suppose not," he agreed quietly, and Wynn felt the shock of his skin at the back of her bare neck. His hand slid upwards as he pulled the book from her hand and let it thump to the ground. Obvious as it was, Wynn still wasn't prepared when he pushed her forward and pressed his lips to hers. The world quickly shrank down to two things: his long fingers twisting in her hair, and the crush of his lips against hers so hard she thought it may bruise. Wynn couldn't do much but allow him in, and the feeling of his tongue running across the back of her teeth was both shocking and alluring.

Any questions she had before flew from her mind when she reached up to grip the sides of his face. His lips were surprisingly soft, and the chill of them only helped a little to cool her skin. When she pulled away for air, he slid his mouth across her cheek and down the curve of her neck. Now that there was oxygen flowing to her brain, she was aware that he had slipped one hand beneath her dress and had pressed it to the small of her back. His fingers crept upward like a spider, over her ribcage, and she nearly choked when he brushed the bottom of her breast.

With a hard shove, she seperated their bodies, and they watched each for a moment, breathing ragged.

"This is fucking crazy," she stuttered, and shook her head. "This isn't in my job description."

"Who forbade you anything?" he asked, taking a step forward. Wynn felt a shudder in her legs, but she held her ground.

"No one forbid me to do..._that, _but it's probably not - I just can't. Why would you do that, anyway?" she asked abruptly, and he raised one brow.

"I've wanted you. I thought that much was obvious. Unless you've been so scared that you deliberately ignored it."

"I'm not _scared_," Wynn snapped, and watched as Loki took a couple more steps, until his chest brushed hers. He placed a hand at the bottom of her neck and leaned down to touch his lips at her ear.

"Show me, then."


	23. Skin

**The last chapter made a total of 100 reviews. My. God. How perfect and awesome can you guys get?**

**All right, so this chapter is a shortie. I wanted to focus mainly on the Loki/Wynn scene, and let this chapter rest as an M chapter. So for those who did not want to read M: you should be fine after the first time skip, though there are some racy statements. Nothing vulgar, but mature.**

**I'll leave you guys alone now. You have full permission to disown me if it sucks. I'm going to go hide under a rock for now.**

**EDIT: Due to mixed reviews, I've extended the scene. You guys ARE my readers, and I'm writing for you. If you were disappointed, please tell me what you think of the new version. Hopefully it's more satisfying, but tasteful.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest if Marvel's.**

* * *

Wynn had been with all of two men in her twenty-six years of life. The first, whom she had lost her virginity to, was a nice guy who was somewhat clumsy and tended to be more emotional than she was. The second she met after she had graduated from boot camp and before her first tour; he was far too rough, far too messy. She broke it off with him the second he started drinking, got shipped to the Middle East, and never looked back. That's where the line of men ended for her. She had never told a man that she loved him, had never wanted to please a man, never held one in her arms longer than it took for him to leave the car or bed. And that's where things got very confusing for her.

Loki only had to breathe in her ear three very small words –

_Show me, then._

- And she had nearly combusted. Her want for him was a frightening, raw feeling that had her backpedaling across the room.

"This came out of nowhere, Loki," she said, desperately searching for even a small bit of logic. Wynn flopped down on the edge of the bed and scrubbed her face, trying not to shrink when he came to stand in front of her. He knelt down, and even then he was so tall that he was face-level with her.

Loki placed his hands on her knees to support himself and said, "You don't honestly believe that. I saw an opportunity and seized it…though it may have had something to do with watching your mouth. I never thought you to be so hesitant."

"I'm not much of a 'leap first, ask later' person."

"Or perhaps you're thinking too much. Some things are meant to be simple," he replied, and bent his head to kiss the flesh above her knee. He paused briefly before moving his mouth upward, over the smooth skin of her thigh, the hem of her dress bunched in his hand. Her muscles trembled violently along with the last of any sane reservations she had.

"Okay," she managed to choke out, "You win. But I swear, if you do anything weird, I'm out of here. This is not going to be a reenactment of '_50 Shades of Grey'_, I'll tell you that right now."

She felt him smile against her skin and he took her dress in both hands. With a quick yank, he pulled the fabric free from beneath her legs.

"I admit the reference is lost on me," he said as he slowly stood, bringing her dress up with him, "But I agree to your statement."

Wynn went to speak, but the words died in her throat as his fingers skimmed the sides of her ribs and snuck under the padded wires beneath her breasts. She held her arms up and for a moment everything was swathed in green before he pulled the garment completely off, letting it fall softly to the floor. It only took her a second to realize that she sat fully exposed, save for her underwear. She pushed herself to standing and fought the urge to babble, as was habit when she felt nervous.

Clearing her throat, she reached for him and managed to work off his outer jacket and underlying shoulder guards, the leather and metal hitting the floor with soft clatters. That was about the extent of her knowledge on his complex outfit, and she paused, completely clueless on how to continue.

Loki smirked slightly at her perplexed face and pressed a chaste kiss on her lips before quickly gripping the backs of her thighs. With a swift lift and push, she found herself hitting the bed, sinking into the silken sheets with a huff. Wynn crossed one arm over her chest and lolled her head to the side, watching him shed off his armor with practiced motions. When he was left bare on the top, she couldn't help but stare at his long white torso, the muscles moving under his skin as if they were alive.

"You make it seem so easy," she commented, and he sent her an amused glance before he reached down to unbuckle his boots. Wynn stared up at the ceiling then, listening to him undress, and felt a tingle race down her spine when his weight sank down on the bed. She felt him before she saw him; he pushed her arm back down to her side before gripping the slopes of her hips.

"These fascinate me," he murmured against her skin as he shifted on top of her, and pressed his lips above her left breast. Wynn briefly lifted her head and realized he was talking about the faint tan lines that ran across her chest from the constant tank-tops she had worn in the summer. She tried to think of a good reply, but her thoughts were lost beneath his weight and the feeling of his tongue dipping into the notch at the base of her throat. He skimmed up her neck and over her jaw to kiss her, warm and demanding.

"Loki," she said quietly, as if to test his name on her tongue. Wynn ran her hands through his hair, disheveling it, and he sighed into her mouth; his breath was sweet, his chest cool against hers, and it made her abdomen clench in anticipation. He rose up and bent back, hooking his fingers on the edges of her underwear, sliding them off of her hipbones and down her legs. She kicked them off and he placed a kiss on the inside of her thigh before settling his body between her legs.

_So this is what it's like to really want someone, _she thought to herself, and almost unconsciously dug her knees into the slight curves of his waist. Had someone told her on the first day she met him that she would feel like this, she would have never believed it; hell, even in the moment, it was hard to believe it.

And with one smooth roll of his hips, the doubt was completely gone.

Her breath hitched in her throat with the sudden push, and there was a slight discomfort, but the feeling of it was searing and decidedly good. Loki dipped his head and nipped her throat before rolling his hips again, and Wynn felt a twinge deep in her abdomen. She twisted her fingers harder into his hair and then slid her hands down to grip the lean muscles of his back as he moved. The friction built like a slow burn until she was arching her spine, pressing into him as he whispered her name once into her ear.

He gripped the sides of her face and kissed her hard; the chill of his hands combined with the heat pooling through her belly wrenched a deep moan from her, a sound that she had certainly never heard from herself. Suddenly, his lips left hers and they were pressed cheek-to-cheek.

With a few more quick, grinding rolls, she unraveled beneath him, digging into his back and gasping his name. A white-hot burn of pleasure left her writhing, toes clenched into the sheets so tightly she thought her feet might cramp. Loki pressed his face into her neck and breathed in hard, all of his muscles contracting under her hands.

Wynn took a deep breath before he collapsed, and she wrapped her arms around him, the weight of his steamy body bearing down on her. They didn't speak, though he caught her gaze before pressing his forehead onto hers.

"Loki?" she asked softly, after she had managed to catch her breath.

"Yes?"

Wynn smiled up at him, and said, "Nothing. I kind of just wanted to say your name."

He didn't give a reply, only shifted down so that he could lay his head against her chest. She stroked his cheek gently, and closed her eyes, heart still thrumming quickly against her ribs.

* * *

He woke up far before she did, and was surprised to find that he had fallen into a deep sleep still gripping her, his head buried in the crook of her neck. The night had passed in an expanse of warm skin and her saying his name breathlessly, punctuated only by short bouts of dozing.

He had gotten up once while she was napping to snatch a servant from the hallway and send a note to Thor, informing the man that no one would see anything of himself or Wynn for a while. Loki could only imagine the grand time Thor had reading those words, but then again, he didn't exactly care.

Sighing, he lifted his head and shifted until he could comfortably view her profile. It occurred to him that this was the first time he had ever awoken to find a woman still in his bed, much less holding her. He watched her breathe, each puff of air disturbing a tendril of hair that had fallen onto her cheek.

"What have you been reduced to?" he whispered dryly to himself, though he was not fool enough to believe that she had magically changed him. But then, he _would_ be a fool to think that he was unaffected, either. It was like she had managed to reach in and rip at the perfect wiring of hate he had constructed, peeling off the scar tissue.

Each time she had said his name, the word had been brimming with a kind of raw affection and longing he had never heard. The responding feeling made him uncomfortable and wasn't one he could identify. He only knew that the girl had pulled noises from him when he was normally silent, and when she had touched him everywhere, anywhere, he had felt no irritation - quite the opposite.

_Damn._

Loki wasn't used to feeling content or loved. It lay on him like a scab, itchy and tight, but it meant something, at least.

Healing.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, she was aware of two things. One, her painfully empty stomach and its whining; two, how fucking _sore_ she was.

With a guttural groan, she rolled on her side so she could be face-to-face with Loki, who she only now realized had been staring at her.

"I feel like I got run over by a truck," she sighed, and he raised a brow at her.

"Was that an insult?"

"No, I think it was a compliment. I don't know how the hell we're going to ride anywhere on a horse today if I can barely walk," she replied, and he gave a short laugh before sitting up.

"I suppose that time does approach, doesn't it? Back to business. Sit tight; I'll mix some painkilling properties into the elixir," he said as he threw back the sheet and climbed from the bed.

"You're naked," Wynn pointed out blankly, and he waved at hand at her dismissively as he strode over to the opposite bookshelf.

"It is my room, Wynn, if I may remind you."

He removed a few books and reached into the bookcase, so far that only his shoulder was exposed.

"Are you reaching into Narnia? Jesus, how far back does that thing go?" Wynn asked, wrapping the sheet around her chest and pulling herself upward. Her abdomen and various other lower body parts wailed in protest at the movement. She rolled her eyes; of all the pains her body could register easily, it had to be sex soreness? The irony was astounding.

"Some secrets I'll never tell," he said as he pulled his arm back. There were various glass bottles in his grip, and he laid them down on the edge of the bookshelf in a row. Wynn watched as he eyeballed the contents and then opened an empty vial. After he sprinkled in something that looked somewhat like a dried herb and some sick, brackish liquid, he gave the vial a few hard shakes.

"I would plug your nose," he warned as he paced over to her. She took the vial gingerly and squinted at it. It looked like some disgusting dare-drink that children would concoct.

"And what is this for?" she asked, yanking the cork out.

"For your womb to stay blessfully uninhabited," he replied, and she about choked on her own spit before she could even get the mixture to her lips.

"You had to say it like that," she grumbled in a nasally voice, plugging her nose and pouring the liquid down her throat. It burned softly, like the juice of a lemon would; she could faintly taste something bitter and dark on her tongue.

"If death had a taste, this would be it," Wynn coughed, handing the empty vial back to Loki. She rolled out of the bed and bent to pick up her dress as he stored the items.

"You'll need pants," he said, without even looking at her. "I will have one of the servants find something fitted for a woman. Or perhaps you can borrow some of Sif's."

"I'm still dreading getting on a horse. When do the painkillers kick in, exactly?"

"Soon," he said as he pulled free a new set of clothes from the massive wardrobe against the wall. Wynn sat, trying to be patient, as he got dressed in the normal leather and metal. It was entertaining to watch him assemble everything, at least.

"I'll be back shortly. I'll go fetch you suitable clothing," he told her and to her utter surprise, bent down to press a kiss on her mouth. As soon as he left the room, Wynn sat stock-still for a minute before letting out such a loud laugh that she was sure it could be heard in the hallway.

Now that she was alone, she let herself dwell on the events that had occurred, and found that she couldn't come up with anything negative on the experience. He had been attentive and maybe a little commanding, but certainly not _demanding. _And, not that she had much to compare it to, it had been good. As in, really good.

Heat crept into her cheeks when she realized that he was the only man who had actually managed to make her come. It had been the first time in her sexual life where she didn't have to fake it. She grudgingly admitted to herself that she shouldn't have acted so stand-offish in the beginning, especially with the results she had gotten. Mental note: apologize.

She sat in the silence, not thinking much of anything, just basking in the momentary security and contentment she felt. The knot of worry that had been coiled in her stomach for months now was gone, and the appreciation wasn't lost on her.

Her attention was drawn to the door as it was opened and Loki slipped back in, a bundle of clothing held in the crook of his elbow. He handed them to her, along with a huge apple.

"I ran into Stark and Banner on the way," Loki said, sounding amused. "They're very eager to see you."

"I can't imagine why," Wynn muttered dryly, and stood so that she could slip the pants on. They were soft and form-fitting, with stretches of leather on the inside of the leg.

"Riding trousers," Loki answered in response to the curious look on her face. She nodded and pulled the black tunic over her head, suddenly grateful for her smaller chest, considering she had no bra. Wynn picked the apple back up from where she had placed it at the edge of the bed, and took a huge bite of the crisp flesh.

"This is awesome," she managed to say, and Loki pushed her forward.

"Eat as we walk. Odin will be seeing us off in an hour, and I believe we may have some excuses to make," he said, and then paused. "On second thought, leave the lying up to me."

"Will do."


	24. Brunhild

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! And I feel obligated to tell you guys that I won't be able to update until next week, because I have a college viewing to go to. ;_; Just when I had the next few chapters planned, too. **

**There are two Norse mythology figures used here, just in a different context. Brunhild (Brynhildr) is a notable valkyrie in mythology, and so is the horse Arvak.**

**And okay, so Loki's horse isn't black in the movie, but oh well. I feel like the God of Mischief and Lies would ride a black horse.**

**EDIT: OMG THESE TYPOS. SWISS FUCKING CHEESE. Pardon me.**

**Also, Boreale has made some amazing fanart for the story! Her DeviantART can be found on my profile!**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

After an absurd amount of turns and hallways, Loki finally led her into a circular room, surrounded by a succession of steps and pillars. Even from here, she could see Banner, Stark, and Steve sitting in a cluster on the steps, and Thor was down by the long banquet table, gesturing across to Jane. The girl was staring down at the food, obviously disgusted with whatever she was staring at.

"You have a plan, right?" Wynn hissed to Loki, whose lips twitched into a self-assured smile.

"Of course," he replied lowly, before raising his voice to call out for Thor. The man started and then raised his arm in greeting while Jane gave a little wave.

"Brother! Lady Wynn! It's been ages. We missed you at dinner last night," Thor said as Loki walked to his side. Wynn paused a few paces back to inspect the food, and to ensure that she didn't ruin whatever excuses Loki had concocted.

"Not ages. Has Odin found the item he was speaking of?" Loki asked, which threw Thor off for just a second before he said, "Yes, he did. He told me that he would give it to us before we departed tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, then? He's eager for us to kill her," Loki mused, right before Stark came bounding over, looking much too eager.

"Hey, Rock of Ages, Wynn. Long time, no see. Where'd you run off to?" he asked as Banner and Steve sidled over, drawn to see what was going on.

"Wynn and I had a few things to discuss," Loki replied casually, and Stark narrowed his eyes.

"All night? That was a long discussion," Stark said, disbelief apparent in his voice. Wynn flicked her eyes between the two, observing Loki at work.

"Your perverse thoughts are childish," Loki told Stark sourly _(ooh, nice touch), _"Afterward, I attempted to teach her pieces of our native language, but the trip had clearly exhausted her." At that, Loki shot her a bitter look that jolted her for a second. It took her a second to realize that he was cueing her to contribute and that the glare wasn't actually genuine.

"I told you I was sorry," Wynn muttered, and felt a rush of relief when Thor laughed loudly.

"Don't feel badly, Lady Wynn. I would fall asleep whenever he attempted to teach me as well."

"That's because you're a simpleton who had no interest in anything other than slinging rocks," Loki shot, and Thor scowled at him.

"That's enough," Steve interjected, already sensing a fight coming around, and continued, "Anyway, you didn't miss much."

"I'm just surprised Stark didn't blow anything up," Wynn said.

"I was saving that until you were around to see it. Then I can blame it on you," Stark replied, still giving her a suspicious look while the others had either swallowed Loki's lie or just didn't care.

"Thanks, Stark. I can always count on you," she said dryly, and he gave her a wink. Wynn glanced over at Thor and Loki, who were talking to each other quietly while she had been paying attention to Stark.

"Then I'll go saddle him before they can. I'd rather do it myself," she heard Loki say, before the god looked over to her. In a voice that was just on the side of uncertain, he asked, "Would you like to come?"

"I'm sure she already did," Stark muttered, and Wynn crunched her foot down on his.

"I'd love to," she said loudly over Stark's pained grunt. Loki raised a brow and turned on his heel, heading for the door.

"Real cute, Stark," she hissed, and ran after Loki, calling her good-byes.

"Be safe!" Banner yelled at the same time Stark wolf-whistled and hollered, "Have fun!"

* * *

It was extremely bright outside compared to the warm lighting inside the palace, and Wynn had to shield her eyes until they adjusted.

"Watch your step," Loki warned, and Wynn nodded, following him down a steep set of stone stairs. The courtyard fountain spewed torrents of waterfalls over its marble ledges, and Wynn stopped for a moment to admire it. Like everything else in Asgard, the architecture of the courtyard was beautiful. They passed under a long veranda that connected to a tall, but significantly smaller building than the palace.

"What's this?" Wynn asked, gesturing to the building.

"The servants' quarters. The ones that directly work for Odin and Frigga reside within the house, but the ones who tend to the stables and gardens stay here."

"You know, for a servant, it doesn't seem like such a bad gig," Wynn commented appreciatively, and when Loki furrowed his brow, she elaborated, "It doesn't seem like a bad job to have."

He made a noncommittal noise of understanding and they walked in silence; Wynn was too busy gawking at everything to have a proper conversation.

The barn, of course, was built with the same precision and elegance as any of the other buildings. Wynn ran her hand across the rich wood of the door and followed Loki inside, grateful to be out of the sun. It smelled earthy and rich, and Wynn craned her neck up to look at the slanted steel ceiling.

"So what are Banner and Stark going to do? I think Cap knows how to ride, but those two have spent their whole lives in labs," Wynn asked.

"They'll be put on one of the older horses," Loki replied, and Wynn laughed.

"Wait, you mean, together?"

"Yes. And I'm sure they'll be thrilled," Loki said, just as a loud whinny cut through the air. All of the stalls were empty, Wynn noticed, save for the one that had a huge black horse straining at the door. The horse pawed at the stall wall and tossed its head until Loki arrived. He put his arm under the horse's cheeks and held it by the deep slope of its face.

"Hello, old friend," he greeted, and the horse flared its nostrils wide in response.

"He's huge," Wynn said, walking up behind Loki. "What's his name?"

"Arvak. He was given to me after I learned how to ride, and we'll say that he made sure I mastered the art," Loki commented dryly. "He threw me more than once."

"And that's a long way down."

Without warning, Loki grabbed her hand and held her palm to Arvak's nose, holding it until the horse had practically inhaled her fingers.

"He doesn't bite…hard. We'll find out if he likes you soon enough," Loki told her, and let her hand drop. "I have to get his tack. Try not to aggravate him."

"I'll restrain myself. Where are all the other horses, anyway?"

"Outside being saddled. That beast has to be tacked in his stall because he won't stand still. That, and he tends to kick at the handlers," Loki replied over his shoulder before disappearing into a room near the end of the aisle, which she assumed held the equipment. As soon as he was out of sight, the horse cast its dark eyes on her.

Wynn tittered nervously, and murmured to the horse, "You know, I never thought I'd find something scarier than your dad, but you're giving him a run for his money right now."

She paused and hesitantly held her palm out like Loki had done for her. Arvak gave her a small, impassive sniff and when he did nothing else, Wynn touched her fingers to his nose gently. She had interacted with horses only a couple of times in her life, and briefly, so she knew what they felt like. But his nose was velveteen and soft, softer than any other horse she had touched, which was somehow surprising since he sounded like the devil's spawn.

"I think we'll be okay with each other," Wynn said, and moved her hand up to stroke the dish of his cheek.

"I believe he likes you," came Loki's voice out of nowhere, and she jumped, effectively scaring Arvak enough that he tossed his head.

"Stop that," Wynn wheezed, thumping herself on the chest. Loki gave her a blank look and then knocked the latch of the stall door open with his elbow. Wynn pushed off of the door so that he could slide it open with his foot, since he had a jumble of tack in his arms.

"Close that behind me," he told her, and she did so. Leaning her forearms across the top of the door, she watched him throw a padded blanket on Arvak's back, followed by a large black saddle. For a second, Wynn seriously doubted she'd ever be able to get on the thing, even discounting her soreness. The horse was almost as tall as Loki at the shoulder.

As she watched Loki pull the girth under its belly and tighten it, Wynn said, "Hey, Loki. So I have a question."

"Don't you always?" he replied, pushing the strap through the cinch ring and yanking it upwards. Arvak flattened his ears and let out a heavy puff of air, but mercifully stayed in place.

"My questions are entertaining. _Anyway, _why did you sound so weird when you asked me if I wanted to come with you, back at the dining hall?"

"I'm not sure what you're referring to."

"Even I know that's a lie. You know what I'm talking about, you remember everything," she said, and when he turned his head to look at her, she narrowed her eyes. After a minute of the two staring at each other, he scoffed before giving his attention back to the saddle.

"It's rather surreal," Loki relented. "I've never continued speaking with any woman I've been with, much less brought them into any of my interests."

"So you're a 'one-night, see you never' kind of guy?" Wynn asked.

"You could call it that. The point is, I've never slept with any woman that I actually cared to see the day after. Until you. Exceptions are wonderful things," he said, and tied off the strap he had been adjusting before turning in her direction. He assessed her face, and Wynn smiled at him.

"Oh. So, does that mean you like me?" She waggled her eyebrows and he gave her a withering look. "Come on, just say you like me. Just a little bit, and I'll be happy."

"Perhaps I will when you're not childishly goading me," he sniffed, and removed the bridle from his shoulder. He slipped it over Arvak's head, only to have the horse jerk its head away from the bit. With a sigh, Loki shoved his thumb into the corner of Arvak's mouth until he opened wide, attempting to remove the intruding finger; Loki shoved the bit in and pulled his thumb away with a grunt of disgust.

Wynn pulled the stall door open so Loki could lead the horse out, and walked opposite him as they headed for the doorway. The sun stung her eyes as soon as they exited the stables and she slapped her hands over them.

"It burns," she hissed.

"You'll need your hands," Loki said, and pulled them from her face. "We were much too slow. The others are most likely waiting for us at the entrance."

He laced his fingers together and stood at Arvak's shoulder. Wynn stared at his hands blankly, and he said impatiently, "Step up. We must go."

"Ah…Loki, I've never really done this before," Wynn grumbled, but lifted her left leg and settled her foot into the cage of his fingers.

"I'll push you up, just throw your right leg over his back behind the saddle," Loki instructed, and Wynn gripped his shoulders, bouncing on her toes a few times in preparation. He did as he said, heaving her up, and Wynn flung her opposite leg over Arvak's back - only to begin sliding off the other side.

Loki snatched her by the shirt and righted her, saying, "My apologies. You're much too slight."

Wynn glared down at him nervously, more aware of the awful burning between her legs rather than how high up she was.

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to my vagina. Because it seriously, _seriously_ hates you right now," Wynn grumbled, and shifted her weight in the opposite direction, but the horse's spine stabbed her anyway.

"It didn't hate me last night," Loki commented casually as he pushed his foot into the stirrup and swung himself up, narrowly bypassing Wynn's face. Wynn stared at his back as he settled, mortified, and sputtered, "Oh my God, you really just said that."

Loki looked over his shoulder with a smirk. "Indeed I did. Now, if I were you, I'd hold on."

Wynn rolled her eyes but wrapped her arms around his waist in compliance; the leather of his outer coat bit at her skin, heated from the sun. Loki quickly pushed the horse into a rocking gait, and Arvak tossed his head from the sudden command. Wynn jarred and gripped Loki tighter while his body hardly moved, completely at ease.

"Why are you wearing so many clothes when it's so warm?" Wynn asked loudly over the clatter of Arvak's hooves on the ground.

"The valkyries reside in the far forests, where it's cool," he replied, and spurred Arvak on. They passed the courtyard in a blur and nearly ran over a passing servant, but even though they were rushing, they were still late. Thor gave Loki an annoyed stare when they rounded the corner of the long stone archway.

Just as Loki predicted, everyone was already by the palace entrance, mounted and ready to go. Loki pulled Arvak to a stop beside Thor's horse, which pinned its ears at being bumped into. Poor Jane, small as she was, was just about jostled off of its smooth white back.

"You're late, brother," Thor said.

"I'm aware," Loki replied, but when he gave no excuses, Thor just sighed. Wynn peeked past Thor and couldn't help but let out a snort. There was Banner and Stark, sitting awkwardly together on a much shorter, older-looking horse.

"I told you I should have brought one of the emergency suits," Stark snapped and Banner fumbled with the reins.

"And I didn't disagree. That was all Cap."

Steve, upon hearing his title being spoken, twisted his torso around to glare at Banner, which looked extremely odd considering that he still held the reins in front of him.

"He would have wrecked everything, and you know it."

"This coming from the man who ruined my best tablecloth," Stark spat.

"That was at Thanksgiving, and it was _one time-_"

Thor shushed him violently and flicked his eyes over to an approaching Odin and Frigga; Steve immediately shut his mouth and sat ramrod straight. Loki pulled the reins to his hips and Arvak backed up, creating space so that Odin could stand beside Thor.

The king handed Thor a thick, rolled paper, and said, "Do remember to be respectful. You ride and speak in my name. Ask for Brunhild, and give her my letter. She will tell you what you need to know."

"As you say, Father. We shall be back by nightfall," Thor replied, and Odin patted his arm before turning to Loki. Wynn saw the man falter for a moment before he nodded at his adoptive son and went back to Frigga.

Thor looked over his shoulder at Loki and called, "Guard the rear, brother," before pushing into his horse's sides. The horse clattered off, and the other two fell in line. Stark had a death grip on Banner, who looked like he was going to be sick.

Beneath them, Arvak danced in place, gnawing so hard on the bit that he was working up a foam.

"Um, Loki, are you sure he's really the horse to be at the end of the line?" Wynn asked nervously, and as soon as Loki replied, "Certainly not," Arvak shot off, slamming into Steve's horse so hard that the metal breastplates made a sharp clanging noise. Steve was flung forward and snapped, "Hold your horse!"

"Sorry, what was that, Captain?" Loki asked loudly, and it hit Wynn that Loki was enjoying this thoroughly. It was just another outlet of mischief; no wonder he loved Arvak so much. Steve glared back at him before hunching forward, grumbling something under his breath.

It was going to be a long trip.

* * *

"It looks like something out of Castlevania...only shinier," Stark commented, and Wynn snorted. The two walked in the back, with Thor and Loki leading them up the path. Trees loomed on either side, but the valkyries' home glinted at the top of the hill like a beacon. The horses had been left with servants a while back after they had convinced a skeptical Thor that they were in good hands.

"And that gatekeeper was creepy as hell," Wynn said.

"The plot twist would be that we are in fact in Castlevania," he replied, and then grimaced. "It's like a movie directed by M. Night Shyamalan."

"No, the plot twist would be that we're all dead."

"Which is what you should be," Stark said, and Wynn blinked at him. "You honestly thought I believed that bullshit about falling asleep? Please. So tell me, how painful was that ride for you?"

"Keep your voice down," she hissed, and then glanced once at the back of Loki's head before saying, "It certainly wasn't comfortable, I'll give you that."

Stark shook his head and tsk'ed. "Remember the good ol' days when you two hated each other?"

"Sadly, yes."

"You did use protection, didn't you?"

"Ah...no."

"_What?_" Stark yelled, and the rest of the group snapped their heads around in alarm. A flock of birds exploded from one of the trees and went flapping into the sky. Wynn laughed nervously, and said, "Sorry, guys. Stark was just telling me a joke."

"This isn't a joke! _Oh my God!" _Stark howled, and Wynn patted his shoulder frantically in an effort to calm him down.

"I'm just going to pretend I don't hear anything," Banner muttered, and he turned back around. Everyone gradually put their attention back onto the path, and Wynn whispered furiously, "He's like a Class 5 master sorcerer, okay? He gave me some, like...liquid birth control, and it was the nastiest stuff ever, I swear. There's no way a baby is coming out of there anytime soon."

"There better not be. Imagine your kid. That thing would be the devil with dimples."

Wynn pinched the bridge of her nose and ignored Stark for the rest of the walk, which was really hard considering the kinds of questions he was asking. The beginning of the path came into view within the hour, and two women by the building's tall, silver doors stood to attention.

"I am Thor Odinson. I come to speak with Brunhild on my father's behalf," Thor called, and one of the armored women asked, "On what grounds?"

"Personal matters," he replied, and showed them the heavy roll of paper with Odin's seal. They hesitated before pulling the heavy doors open, allowing them into the building. The entrance hall was long and golden, torches flaming softly against the walls. One of the guards followed them in and commanded, "Come with me. I will bring you to her."

They were led through the hall and down a steep set of stairs before they were transferred to another guard. The new woman then showed them to a large, wooden door, and knocked a few times. There was a pause before a husky voice yelled, "Enter."

The guard pushed the door open and stood aside so that their group could move through. The room was surprisingly small, and dim. It looked like a study, books scattered over the tall wooden tables and a few papers rested on the ground. Thor and Loki immediately bowed to the tall woman standing in front of them, her red lips set in a hard line. Her hair was a golden mass of curls, and her arms were muscular beneath the metal plates that covered her shoulders.

"What brings you here, Thor Odinson?" she asked, and slid her dark eyes to Loki. "Loki Laufeyson?"

Thor handed her the paper and she ripped it open, scanning it quickly. Wynn watched the blood drain from her face before she rubbed a hand over her cheek.

"I knew this day would come. Herja came to see me not long ago. She was crazed, and I should have taken care of it then," she murmured, almost to herself. "I assume Odin has already told you the story, then?"

"Yes," Thor said, and she nodded.

"I see. There is not much I can do for you, but I can tell you how to guard against her, for now. Someone who has used so much black magic will know all of the tricks, but she'll still have to get around it."

Brunhild turned around and shoved a heavy book to the ground, dusting off a wide steel chest. She pushed it open and reached inside, obviously searching for something. As she shuffled around in it, she said, "Rock salt will keep demonic entities from entering a room or space. Make sure it is pure, and salt heavily. And I have this to give you."

She stood from kneeling and handed the item to Thor. It was nothing but a circle of dried briars, the thorns greyed with age. Thor stared down at it cluelessly, but Loki said, "For protection?"

"The briars were pulled from Hel and are enchanted to poison whomever dares to prick their fingers, though I believe Midgardians are safe. It is a dangerous weapon. I would give it to one of the girls to carry," Brunhild warned, and Thor immediately handed it over to Jane.

"Thanks," she said anxiously, and held the wreath gingerly in her palms.

"My father spoke of an item that he said may help. Do you know what it may be?" Thor questioned, and Brunhild raised her thin brows.

"Yes, of course. It will be the only thing that will be able to kill Herja. A sword made of pure brass - her own sword. Herja misused that weapon too many times to count. It is only fitting that she be struck down with it."

"And what happens when we kill her? The rest of her children will not simply leave," Loki pointed out, and Brunhild shook her head.

"This is true, but without her, they will be lost. They know not why they strive to slaughter the sons of Odin and those precious to them. They only do it because it is what Herja has taught them to do. You murder Herja, and they will leave you be," Brunhild said.

"Ma'am, can you tell us why they decided to go after us now, of all times?" Steve asked, and Brunhild sighed.

"I can't be certain, though I assume it to be the fact that she has leverage now. She can attack the Odinson's in a place where the Allfather cannot aid them directly. And now she has more loved ones to take away." The woman let her eyes flit across the group, looking into each of their faces.

"I cannot tell you anymore. Odin will give you Herja's sword to slay her, and until she attacks, use the thorns and the salt. If she is desperate enough, she won't wait until the next waning cycle." There was a beat of silence, and she gave Thor a look that said, _"we're done here". _

"We thank you for your time, great Brunhild," Thor told her politely, and the woman swept her arm out, leading them to the door.

"I wish you all the best of luck. And, Loki," she turned to said god, "Be especially careful, more than your brother. I fear that if Herja discovers your true lineage, then you will wish for death by the time she is through with you and yours."

Wynn felt a sharp shiver race up her spine, and she swiveled her head between Brunhild and Loki. She saw Loki's jaw clench.

"And why is that?"

"Herja may hate Odin for what he has done, but she hated Laufey just as much. In their time of war, Laufey guarded her from bringing the chosen back to Valhalla, and it shamed her greately. I remember...after the war ended she swore that she would punish Laufey somehow, and now that he is dead, that burden will fall to you."

Loki narrowed his eyes and asked quietly, "And what did she speak of?"

For the first time since they had entered the room, Brunhild looked hesitant to give away any information. She drew in a hard breath before telling him, "Herja spoke of a great snake, with poison dripping from its fangs."

* * *

Wynn stared up at the ceiling while Loki paced around his room. He had been silent all the way back to the house of the Allfather, and when they had settled to eat, he didn't speak unless spoken to. Wynn couldn't say that she had ever seen him this shaken before.

"What are you thinking?" Wynn asked of him. He paused for a moment before he returned to wearing ruts in the floor.

"I'm thinking of all the possible ways I could slip from Lilith's grip if she were to get her hands on me. Or you, for that matter," he replied.

"How can you plan for something that hasn't already happened?"

"You can't. But you _can_ think of every possible scenario and its possible outcomes. There's also the urgent matter of how we'll trap Lilith when she comes for us."

Wynn shuddered and rolled on her side to watch him. His broad shoulders were sloped as he paced back and forth, white forehead creased in concentration. Even from the outside, Wynn could tell he wasn't exaggerating - he was literally thinking about all the different ways he'd escape if captured and how to capture Lilith before that happened.

"And you say I overthink things," she muttered, and he paused to shoot her a glare.

"You do. I'm preparing," he defended, and then rubbed his upper lip with one long index finger. "When we return to Midgard, I'll set force fields near the waning cycle. Lilith could most likely break them, but the lilim wouldn't be able to...not enough knowledge."

"Sounds solid," Wynn agreed, and then said, "So, I know it's probably ridiculous to ask, but have you put any thought into the whole snake thing?"

Loki gave her a deadpan look and she shrugged. "No, I mean _really _thought about it. Snakes are used in mythology to seduce and punish, right? And the Christian folklore and Norse mythology both use serpents as symbolism for negative forces. The serpent tempted Eve to eat fruit from the tree, and of course there's the story of _you_, being tied up and hurt with poison."

"Yes, but those stories are extremely skewed."

"But still. Don't you think it all ties in? Somehow? What if the snake isn't actually a snake, and Lilith was talking about something else? Some other weapon?"

Loki raised his brows and appraised her before walking over to the bed. He sat on the edge, elbows on knees, and nodded.

"You have a point."

"I do?"

"Yes. All mythology and folklore heavily rely on symbolism, and Lilith is smart enough to use that to her advantage. If she were talking about future plans, she wouldn't come right out and say it."

Wynn sighed and rubbed her temples; her brain felt like it was going to short-circuit. All the talk of Lilith's plans or not-plans or secret plans was giving her a headache.

"Can we go to sleep now?" she muttered, and Loki looked down at her.

"I suppose we should. We leave at dawn," he said. He stood back up and began to snap off his armor, while Wynn didn't even bother. She kicked off the riding pants and then wrestled the tunic off, nearly falling off the bed in the process.

"Such a graceful being," she heard Loki say, and she made a grumbling noise as she dug herself under the sheets.

"Can we take the linen back with us?" she asked, rubbing her cheek on the silk pillow case.

"Only if you pry a set from Frigga's claws. Move over."

Wynn wiggled to give him room and he slid in; waving his hand, the twin fire pits went out in a puff of smoke, and the room was cast into darkness. She sighed and stared, unseeing. There was a beat of silence before she asked, "Loki? Are you naked?"

"I am. Which is how I _used _to sleep before I was interrupted every morning by yourself."

"Don't you mean since the last time you had your own bed? I don't think the chitauri gave away comfy mattresses."

"I would shut that mouth before I shut it for you," he grumbled.

"You won't," Wynn snorted, before sending a look of horror at the ceiling. _Ah, God. I just said that. _

"Hey, Loki, I was ju- _uuust! _Shit, your hands are cold!" she screeched as he snatched her by the waist. He didn't apologize, only crushed her to the bed and kissed her hard. He bit her bottom lip sharply, not hard enough to draw blood but enough to draw a surprised sound from her throat. His tongue ran along her teeth and pressed against hers slowly until she had to turn her head and gasp for breath.

"I was kidding," she rasped, and he reached up to grasp her jaw.

"You're not now," he replied, his voice low, and she felt that same tongue slide across the skin of her collarbone.

"...We're not sleeping, are we?"


	25. Reassurance

**I survived! The weekend was super tiring and mostly boring, but not half bad. But to the stuff that matters - I was originally going to skim over Christmas completely, but then I realized that I have an opportunity to keep the story going longer if I put it in. Besides, Wynn met Loki's family, sooo... :D Also, thank you guys so much for leaving reviews and for supporting me even though I left for longer than I ever have. -sob-**

**I have more fanart links! Boreale did a gorgeous portrait of Wynn, and xLettuce drew an adorable piece involving Loki, Wynn, and a circle of salt. They're both definitely worth checking out. Copy/paste lines in my profile. :)**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

Wynn woke up cramped and chilly, but surprisingly more comfortable than she had been in a long time. Loki's knee was digging into the back of her calf and his hand was so cold on her breast that she was sure it was going to fall off, but Wynn wasn't about to complain. She would rather be freezing, held in the cocoon of his body, than not be held at all.

"You may as well get up now," he said, his breath tickling her ear. "We'll be departing soon."

Wynn almost jumped when she realized that he was already awake; even more frightening was the fact that he knew _she_ was awake and she hadn't moved anything aside from her eyelids.

"Not enough time for another bath?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not."

"Disappointing. I guess it's for the best though; I almost drowned in that tub last night. Those things could hold, like, three Thors. You really should have been there, but you were too busy scheming," Wynn said. He pressed his lips to the small round of her shoulder bone and sighed, "Perhaps next time. Now, rise."

"Pushy," she grumbled, but wiggled out of his loosened arms and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Loki rolled over onto his back and sat up, watching as she shuffled across the room to retrieve her green dress, washed and left by his door sometime the previous day. Wynn unfolded it and shook the fabric out (even though it was perfectly pressed) before glancing over at Loki.

"Stop staring at me, you creep," she snapped, but the acid she had intended to inject in the statement fell short due to her embarrassment. When she wasn't caught up in the moment, being naked in front of him was just _slightly_ mortifying. It was always impossible to tell exactly what he was thinking when he cast his gaze upon something, and she was positive that she didn't want to know what he thought about her body.

"I think it's a bit late for modesty, Wynn. Besides," he said, propping his chin in his hand and curling a smirk at her, "I find that I quite enjoy admiring you like this."

"Yeah, right," she muttered, a bite of heat gnawing at her cheeks. She yanked on her underwear as quickly as possible, followed by the dress in a rapid succession. She heard Loki get up and wander around somewhere behind her, but didn't bother turning. Slipping from the room, she rushed down the hallway to the bathroom, which shocked her with its glamour just as much as it had the first time. It was a _bathroom, _but it looked like its own little palace.

The tub was huge and golden, with a rippled bottom that massaged the feet when you stepped in. Of course, the toilet was worth more than most items on the black market, so Wynn felt like she was defiling it somehow by even sitting on it. She scrubbed her hands with a sweet-smelling herbal soap and rinsed her mouth before smoothing her hair in the mirror. It had been neat and washed after her bath the night before until Loki had thoroughly tangled it in several different directions.

By the time she got back to the room, Loki was dressed and had concocted another disgusting elixir. Wynn took the vial from his hand with a sneer and pinched her nose before throwing it back, the liquid sizzling down her throat softly.

"So gross," she shuddered, and clicked her tongue a few times to try and rid of the taste.

"I believe the taste of that is more bearable than birthing a child," Loki said, and opened his hand for her to lay the empty container back on his palm.

"True. We would have cute kids, though," Wynn replied, and gave herself a mental pat on the back when he was momentarily speechless, as if contemplating how to respond.

"I'm just saying," Wynn laughed. "Don't worry, I wasn't hinting or anything. It was a compliment. I mean, you could have sex with a brick and the child would still be gorgeous…or in your case, I guess it would be a h-"

"Don't you even dare to finish that sentence," Loki growled, and Wynn held up her hands in mock surrender. With a sigh, he laid his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the door, saying, "After the Allfather gives us the sword, we will go back to Midgard and begin to prepare the tower for attack."

"Okay, but you do know that we'll be back before Christmas, right? I know I said I wouldn't go anywhere, but I didn't think we'd be back so soon."

Loki paused and grabbed her hip, turning her slightly so that they were face to face.

"So you'll be leaving, then," he stated, and if Wynn wasn't imagining it, he sounded slightly bitter.

"Well, yeah, I have to go see my family sometime. I haven't seen any of them for nearly a year, my mom for nearly two years. And I really would like to make it, because…I mean, just in case our next meeting with Lilith doesn't go well," Wynn told him, brows raised.

Loki made a soft _'tsk' _sound at her last statement, but released her so that they could continue their walk down the hallway. Wynn was quiet for a moment before dredging up enough courage to ask, "I'm sure Fury would grant me permission to leave, and you could stay, but would you want to come with me? It won't be a big deal, just a couple of days, and Montpelier is really pretty, so it won't be awful."

"It matters little to me," Loki responded, and Wynn rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, okay, but it's still up to you."

"Is it your wish that I go with you?" Loki asked, and Wynn grit her teeth. He just had to make everything difficult.

"Yes, Loki. Believe it or not, you're actually tolerable most of the time."

"Your romanticism astounds me, Wynn," he said, and she could practically taste the sarcasm.

"You're welcome. Maybe I'll buy you a box of half-eaten chocolates for Christmas."

He scoffed, but before he had a chance to reply, a familiar voice rang down the hallway.

"Hey, Wynny! Scar!"

At Stark's greeting, she spun on her heel and waved at an approaching Stark, Banner, and Steve, all of whom seemed to be walking with their legs slightly parted. Apparently, the long hours of riding from the day before had not been kind to them.

"Hey, guys. A little stiff?" Wynn asked, and Stark squinted at her.

"Yeah, but you know how that feels, am I right?" he retorted, and Wynn flexed her jaw, giving him the silent woman warning to shut his mouth.

"Thor said to find you all and go to the throne room," Banner told them, and Loki gave him a short nod before waving them forward. They followed along, and the walk would have gone by a lot faster had Stark not been humming the tune to every iconic sexual song that he knew. By the time they got to the stairs for the throne room, Wynn was ready to strangle him and Banner was sighing repetitively in a calm effort to quiet Stark down.

"My friends!" Thor called from the floor below, Jane standing beside him and waving. They all loped down the steps and bowed at the bottom for Odin and Frigga. The Allfather rose from his seat and met them halfway, a sheathed weapon held carefully in his hands.

"I trust Brunhild already informed you of the item I am about to present you with. I hold steady that it is the one trustworthy weapon that many slay Herja for good."

Odin held the sword out to Thor, who nodded his head and took it into his grip. He stared at Thor with what seemed to be well-hidden concern, but when he spoke, his voice was steady.

"Herja is dangerous, but I know that you and your allies are fully capable of handling yourselves. I only wish that when you kill her, you come back to us and tell us of what you have done. I give you all of my luck and thoughts."

"Of course, Father, thank you," Thor agreed, and the Allfather put a large hand on his shoulder. That seemed to be the cue for Frigga to move forward and embrace Thor, whispering something in his ear. When he pulled away to take Jane by the arm, Frigga moved on to Loki. Wynn could hear her say something to him in their native language, and he nodded.

"It was a pleasure meeting you all. Please, you are always welcome in our home. I wish each and every one of you the best of luck," Frigga told them all with a small smile. They gave a chorus of thanks and good-byes, slowly backing away from the throne and turning to chase after Thor. Once they were out of the throne room and were heading past the windows, Stark piped up, "So we're out of here? Damn, I'm going to miss this place."

"You are welcome back; my mother has given you her blessing."

"Did you say good-bye to Sif and them, Thor?" Jane asked, and he nodded. She smiled and reached out to hold his hand, which he gladly accepted. For a split second, Wynn felt a pang of jealousy before quickly dismissing it. The idea of her and Loki holding hands was ridiculous – it was a gesture for couples, not two people who…what?

_Oh, God, I've entered the No Label zone, _Wynn thought, and grimaced to herself.

What were they? Friends with benefits? Two rejects who found comfort in each other? Both, maybe. Or maybe it was nothing, just something in the Asgardian water that had prompted him to kiss her that night. But she didn't mind giving him her affection, not a bit, because whenever she imagined him floating in space, in the dark, something deep in her ached. It was worth it to give him her touch and her acceptance, even if she couldn't hold his hand.

Wynn held a hand to her forehead as they left the House of Odin and was blinded by the sun.

* * *

When they arrived on the top of Stark Tower, Darcy ran out in her pajama pants and slippers, yelling, "Hey! Three days till Christmas, are you guys my presents?"

"I'll wrap Cap up in a bow for you," Stark said, jabbing a thumb at the man, and high-fived Darcy as he practically ran inside – or as fast as he would slosh through the snow. Pepper had been smart and stayed in the building, choosing instead to wave at him through the glass. Beside her, Nanook barked so loudly that Wynn could almost hear him; she waved at him and his tail wagged even harder. She saw Thor shove Jane toward the doors, scared to leave the tiny girl out in the snow for longer than a minute in case she got a sudden case of frostbite.

"Hi, Dar," Wynn said as the girl hugged her tightly, moving aside to let Banner and Cap pass.

"So glad you're back, dude. Tumblr is awesome, but it's sad when you're not there staring over my shoulder making comments," Darcy said in her ear, and Wynn laughed loudly.

"Well, I'm back for now. We can do that tonight."

"What do you mean 'for now'?"

Wynn released her and said, "I need to go to Vermont and visit my family for Christmas. I was thinking we'd leave tomorrow morning."

"Oh. Well, it's nice that you'd invite me, but I have family to go visit too. Sorry, I just got confused for a second."

"…Darcy, you're still confused," Wynn told her, and pointed over her shoulder at Loki. "I'm taking the Evil Overlord. Maybe decorating a tree will be stress-relieving."

"I heard that," Loki spat, and Wynn turned around long enough to bare her teeth at him before returning her attention to Darcy.

"I see how it is," Darcy sniffed, and Wynn shrugged apologetically.

"Sorry. But we'll hang out tonight for a while, okay?"

That appeased her, apparently, because she saluted before running back for the tower entrance. Wynn heard Loki shuffle up to stand beside her and he asked sourly, "Evil Overlord?"

"Seemed appropriate."

"I could be much, much more cruel," Loki said, and without warning, stuffed his hand down the front of her dress. Wynn screamed as the fistful of snow he had just deposited began melting into her bra and down her stomach.

"Why would you do that?" Wynn shrieked, flapping the hem of her dress to try and fling the water out. She kicked a pile of snow at him, which he deftly avoided, and as he sauntered to the tower doors she heard him yell, "I do what I want!"

Wynn breathed out hard and sucked her stomach in tight, as if that would help her skin escape the ice water that was now soaking into the hem of her underwear. She glanced up and froze, dress bunched in her hands as she watched Stark have convulsions behind the glass, cell phone in hand. She would never hear the end of it.

* * *

The day passed rather quietly. Thor showed the ones who hadn't gone to Asgard the sword, and explained the events that had occurred. Clint and Natasha didn't have much to say, only volunteered to go to the nearest hardware store and buy a five-gallon drum of rock salt. Darcy had freaked out as per usual and insisted that she hold the ring of briars that was currently in Jane's possession, and Pepper was…Pepper. She took it in stride, and vowed to keep a close eye on security.

And _since _she had Pepper, she had thought of everything – while they had been in Asgard, she and Darcy had gone out and bought a mammoth evergreen tree. So the afternoon was spent in Stark's large, cushy living room, decorating the largest Christmas tree Wynn had ever seen. Loki had dipped out, claiming that he would have to participate in "pointless Midgardian traditions" when they got to Vermont anyway, and she gave him that one.

Thor was allowed to help decorate until one of the glass orbs kept slipping off and he attempted to punch it onto the branch, nearly tipping the poor tree over. After that, Jane made him sit on the couch and string popcorn with Darcy, though he fed most of it to Nanook. The rest of them managed to put the decorations on the tree like sane human beings until Stark told Banner to lift him so he could put the star on top.

"Can't we just get a ladder?" Banner had asked, but that was denied. 'No fun', apparently, which is how he ended up straining every muscle he had while Stark wobbled on top of his shoulders.

"If you drop me, I will kick you out of here faster than a noble gas rejects an electron," Stark hissed at Banner while he flailed his arm, attempting to get the star on to the point of the tree. Miraculously, it worked, if Banner's pulled neck and crushed shoulders were discounted. Stark attempted to apologize by ordering Thai food that night instead of shawarma, knowing that it was Banner's favorite.

They were sitting around watching _How the Grinch Stole Christmas _before Wynn excused herself to go pack. She stopped by Loki's room for a few minutes to annoy him before he shoved her out, eyes still trained on the dilapidated copy of Golding's _Lord of the Flies._

As she packed her suitcase, she talked with her mother on the phone, who had screamed excitedly when she was informed that Wynn was coming up to Vermont.

"I'm already here! Are you bringing that boy? I'll tell Susan and Jeremy tonight," her mother rapid-fired, and Wynn had to lean away from the phone.

"Yes, Momma, I'm bringing him. And okay, just don't forget to tell Annabelle too."

"I won't, of course not. I guess you won't want me to put the old Elmo sheets on the bed if you're bringing a boy."

"…Oh my God."

"That's what I thought. So you'll get here at one or so?" her mother asked, and Wynn hummed an agreement before they said their good-byes. She sighed and threw the phone on her bed, thinking that the whole situation was just…odd, like a juxtaposition. One minute they were all being attacked and talking about black magic, the next they were decorating a tree for Christmas. This new life was certainly exciting, but Wynn wasn't sure that she didn't prefer her old role as report-writer and trainee. Now she'd have to go eat Christmas dinner with a Norse god sitting beside her, and smile even knowing that in a month they'd come to final blows with the succubi. Yeah. Easy. She bent down and stroked Nanook's head; he had been following her around all day, but managed to finally collapse on the floor and sleep.

A knock at the door sent her standing straight, and Wynn called, "Come in!"

"Hey, dude," Darcy greeted as she strolled in and plopped on the bed, jiggling the suitcase.

"Hey, Darcy. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. You know, the usual," the girl said casually, and Wynn folded the hoodie she was holding slowly. Darcy was being was too calm; she had even _knocked._

"Uh-huh. Did you guys finish the movie?"

"Yup."

"Oh. Cool."

"Yeah."

There was a beat of awkward silence before Darcy burst, yelling, "Did you have sex with Loki? Oh my God, I totally know you did!"

"Darcy, _no, _I didn't – I mean, I did but - _shit_!" Wynn replied frantically, and Darcy held the sides of her face, pulling down her cheeks.

"I knew it!" she hollered, and bounced up, springing on the bed, creating waves so large that the suitcase almost toppled off the mattress. Nanook scrambled up from the sudden noise and Wynn grabbed him by the collar, patting him reassuringly on the side. Darcy kept yelling, "I knew it, dude, I so knew!"

"How?" Wynn whined, and Darcy smirked.

"Um, he casually shoved his hand down the front of your dress – yeah, I saw that – and he keeps touching you. Like, more than before, I mean. Just something was different. Actually, when I accused you, I was only half-sure, but I totally knew you'd give it away. You're shit at lying."

Wynn sighed and massaged her temples before setting her attention on folding a pair of jeans. Darcy flopped down and stared at her intently until Wynn finally met her gaze and snapped, "What?"

"Sooo? How was it?"

"No, Darcy. Just no."

"C'mon, please? At least throw me a bone for being attentive for once. Just one little detail," Darcy begged, and Wynn rolled her eyes. As if she could avoid it, she led Nanook over to the couch and got him up on the cushions before returning, arms crossed.

"Fine, one detail. Um…" Wynn tried to dredge up something that wouldn't be too personal, and then thought about looking at the mirror in Asgard. "He's a hair-puller."

"Seriously?" Darcy laughed, eyes wide.

"Seriously. Not hard enough to hurt, but I could definitely feel it."

"That's kind of hot. One more detail. For Christmas."

Wynn puffed a lock of hair away from her face and ignored her, choosing instead to zip her suitcase shut and move it to the door. Darcy's eyes followed her all the way to the bathroom, and when she finished packing her toiletries, Darcy was still lying on the bed waiting. It was the first time she had ever seen the girl desperate enough that she was actually patient.

Wynn stood by the bed and gritted, "One more, and then you're out of here."

"I agree to your terms and conditions," Darcy said, and sat up.

"You're enjoying this way too much. Get up and walk to the door. I want to make sure you follow through," Wynn told her, and Darcy scoffed, but got up anyway. Wynn trailed her over to the doorway and then said, "Open the door, and stand in the hallway."

"You're serious?"

"As a heart attack."

Darcy muttered something under her breath, doing as she was told, and Wynn held the doorknob. Darcy held out her hands and prompted, "So…?"

Wynn smiled, and said, "He's a biter, too. And all the proof is in places that I can't show you to prove it."

Then she slammed the door in a shocked Darcy's face.

* * *

Later that night, after Wynn had gone and said goodnight to everyone, she lay in her bed staring at the ceiling. She was too hot, too worried. As fun as the day had ended up being, anyone knows that lying in bed not being able to sleep is the worst time for thinking. Everything pressed down on her like a weight. Brunhild's warning, Lilith's threats, the impending battle. It made her mouth dry, like it was full of ash.

Quietly, she threw the covers back and left, pacing down the hall to Loki's room; she creaked the door open and slid in. It was dark, and she stood for a moment to let her eyes adjust. She gently closed the door behind her and paced to his bedside, laying her hand on the cool flat of his back. He turned his head to the side and whispered, "Were you not able to sleep?"

"No," she whispered back. "I keep thinking about all these awful things. Can I sleep with you?"

"You still believe that you have to ask?"

Wynn didn't reply to that, only climbed in over top of him and rested her head on his shoulder. His skin was refreshing against her flushed cheek, and she let her eyes close, listening to the steady thrum of his heart. Her hand lazily traced up his spine and found its way to his hair; she ran her fingers through the ink-black locks, surprised that she had never noticed how soft it was. Loki rolled onto his side without warning and she felt his hand creep under her shirt to lay in the dip of her waist. She kept her hand in his hair and ran her fingernails against his scalp gently, drawing a deep noise from his throat.

"I thought you wanted to sleep," he murmured, and she recognized the dusky tone in his voice.

"I do. Sorry," she replied, and felt him nod. She laid her head on his pillow, their faces so close that she could feel his breath on her lips, practically taste the peppermint. It didn't surprise her much that the smell was familiar and comforting to her now, lulling her into sleep like a hushed reassurance.

* * *

"So you'll call us when you get there?" Jane asked, and Wynn nodded, slamming the door of the Mercedes shut after Nanook had clamored onto the backseat. The car rocked slightly when Steve threw her suitcase into the trunk, followed by the bag that Loki had to grudgingly borrow from Banner.

"Text me, okay? I can't die of boredom," Darcy said, and Wynn hugged her shivering body so that she could run back inside. The girl gave her a wink before rushing for the door.

"Thanks again for letting us borrow the car, Stark," Wynn said, and Stark nodded, hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"This is your Christmas present. And by Christmas present, I mean return it without a scratch or I'll run you over with it," Stark grumbled, still half-asleep.

"Lady Wynn, Loki, have a joyous time! And brother, be kind to the other Midgardians, yes?" Thor said, to which Loki scowled. Apparently that was good enough for Thor, who slapped him so hard on the back that Wynn could see his teeth rattle. Thor crushed her in his arms next, and she had to struggle not to wheeze.

"Okay, we're out," Wynn told them after Thor had let her go, and she pulled open the driver's door, Loki doing the same across from her. As soon as she yanked the door shut behind her, she looked over to him and said, "I hope you're ready for nearly six hours of I Spy and Christmas carols."

"Thrilled," he replied dryly, and she grinned at him as the engine roared to life beneath the turn of the key. She waved our of the window as they rolled toward the opening door of the parking garage, and she heard Thor yell, "Be safe in your travels and Jane says not to converse with strangers!"

Beside her, Loki sighed and pressed his forehead to his palm.


	26. Blue

**Sorry for not updating as quickly as usual! This one was a struggle, I'll admit, so I hope it's okay. Mostly Loki POV, and the M rating is in use for the end of the chapter. As always, thank you to everyone who reviews, favorites, follows, etc.! You guys are wonderful. **

**And just food for thought: the story must end sometime. Without saying much, would you prefer the story wrapped up and whole, or branching out into a sequel? I have ideas, but your opinions matter the most. If you leave a review, I'd like to know what you think! **

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

Wynn pulled up to the dilapidated rest area and squinted past the frantic windshield wipers. About two hours into the drive, it had started snowing with a vengeance and hadn't stopped since. But Nanook had started whining and if he ruined Stark's car, they'd both be murdered in their sleep.

"Okay, I just have to let Nanook out and we'll be back on our way. You're welcome to stay in here," she said, and leaned over Loki to pop open the glove box. She snatched up Nanook's leash and clamored into the back seat to hook him up.

"As I've said before, the cold doesn't bother me," Loki commented, and zipped up the leather trench he wore. He pushed open his door and stepped out into the snow, waiting patiently for Wynn to drag Nanook from the back of the car. The dog hit the ground running, sloshing through the snow and dragging Wynn toward the trees.

Loki paced leisurely behind her as she was whipped around by a snuffling Nanook, who was thoroughly wound up from the hours spent in the car. Finally, he managed to pick a spot and Wynn looked away, as if Nanook had some dignity to preserve. She kicked some snow in Loki's direction, and he raised his eyebrows back at her as if to say, _'you really don't want to start this.'_ At that, Wynn only huffed a cloud of breath in his direction and stared up at the grey sky, snowflakes falling lazily to the ground.

"We have about three hours left to drive before we're there. I think you'll like it, their house is really nice. My uncle quit the army and got into law after my dad," Wynn told him, scrunching down harder into her peacoat.

Loki scraped at his palm, as if contemplating something, before asking, "What was it that killed your father? Of all things, you never speak of him."

Wynn cleared her throat and looked at the snowy tree tops past his shoulder. His gaze was too intense, too probing. It was easier to stare at something that wouldn't stare back.

"He and some of his troop were in town, just wasting time. They went into a shop and a series of bombs went off, meant to wipe out an entire section. They couldn't even bring his body back. There was nothing left. My family buried an empty box," she said, and winded Nanook's collar around her finger absently. "I think about him a lot. You know, whenever he called me he told me to be safe and I would tell him to be safe too. The day before he died, I forgot. I didn't tell him to be safe."

Loki didn't say anything for a moment, his face neutral as ever, so his next question threw her off a bit. "I expected you to sound angrier. You speak of his death as though it is a chore."

"I spent most of my life being angry. I worked my ass off to get into the army, like if I got there, I could avenge him…or something equally ridiculous. But being in the army just made me angrier. Following orders, killing people for no reason – I was no better than the people who killed my dad."

"I see," Loki said blankly, and she saw the skepticism in his eyes. Of course – he knew all about anger, about wanting his due. Wynn felt a flicker of surprise at the common ground they had just stumbled upon.

"I just didn't want to spend the rest of my life wishing I could go back and re-do everything, you know? Almost being blown up was probably the best thing that could have happened to me; it kind of puts things into perspective," she said with a shrug, and leaned down to grab the stick Nanook kept jabbing into her knee, tail spraying curtains of snow from side to side.

"The threat of death has a tendency to do that."

"Well…sometimes our new perspectives aren't for the better," Wynn grimaced, and Loki narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm just saying, my change in mindset didn't involve trying to take over Earth."

"I had my reasons," Loki replied, voice tight.

"I know you did."

"But you do not agree with my actions."

"Not at all. But I understand them. At least, I think I do," Wynn said, and gave Nanook a soft tug in the direction of the car. "We should get going. We're already behind schedule."

They walked back to the Mercedes in silence, the crunching of snow beneath their boots the only sound between them. Loki folded himself into the passenger seat while Wynn shoved a reluctant Nanook in the back, slamming the door behind him. She raced around to the other side and jumped into the car, blowing on fingers that were swelling from the cold.

The engine roared to life along with the heaters and they were back on the road within the minute, the tires spinning against the slick ground. It was quiet in the car, as Nanook had settled himself quickly and Loki leaned his head against the window, staring out. He was either heavily contemplating life, or he was brooding.

"What're you thinking about?" she finally asked, and he glanced in her direction.

"You," he replied, and Wynn gave him an exasperated look before turning her attention back to the road.

"What about me?"

"Several things, I suppose. Some thoughts would suit polite conversation ill, though, so I'll keep those to myself," he said, and Wynn could see a smirk forming on his mouth.

"I have no words for you," she grumbled, and then immediately said, "And don't even tell me that I do, because it's an expression. I could literally feel that smartass remark coming. Now, what about me that _doesn't_ involve me having to drink that nasty birth control?"

"I would be appreciative, if I were you."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I did. I told you that I thought several things."

Wynn groaned and thumped her head back against the seat.

"I'm seriously considering putting you in the back seat and Nanook up here," she snapped, which wrenched a sharp laugh from Loki. She saw him scrape at his palm again, and she briefly wondered if that was some sort of habit of his. There was a small lapse where the only sound was Nanook's soft snoring and Marina's voice crooning from the speakers. Then, from the corner of her eye, she could see Loki turn toward her slightly.

"I am loathe to admit my fondness for you, Wynn," he said through gritted teeth, and Wynn nearly steered off the road at the abrupt confession. That _wasn't _what she had expected. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but she could only flick her eyes between him and the road.

"I like you, too?" she replied hesitantly, unsure if he wanted the sentiment returned or if he wanted her to drop it.

"Don't sound so surprised. I would have never willingly put my hands on you if I didn't enjoy your company. And considering my abhorrence for Midgardians, that should be a nice bit of proof."

"Coming from the guy who hates everything."

"Tsk. I have never hated a fine piece of literature in my lifetime," he retorted, and Wynn grudgingly gave him that one.

"So that kind of came out of nowhere," she said, and he sent a scoff her way.

"I believe we went over this in Asgard. Nothing I've done so far has come 'out of nowhere'. You only like to think it has. Really, Wynn, your level of denial is exceptional."

"Oh, _my _denial is exceptional? You're the one who saved my life and then said it wasn't even intentional. Aren't you also the one who slept with me and then wouldn't even admit that you liked me the next morning because of my 'childish goading'?" she said, rolling her eyes.

Loki snorted and grudgingly replied, "I accept that."

"Good."

They glanced at each other and the relief was tangible. So he was _fond _of her. How long had that taken him to work up? He had sounded strangled in his declaration, like he was barely managing to squeeze it out. But still – there it was.

Wynn kept her eyes on the road and tried to keep a smile from breaking out on her face, lest she make herself seem immature. But of course, focused as she was, she didn't see Loki pick at his palm again, words obviously stuck in his throat.

* * *

He wasn't sure what he had expected, but it wasn't this. The only Midgardian architecture he had been exposed to in-person were the sleek metal buildings of New York, so the house was…strange. It was wooden, with a steep roof that snow slid from easily; smoke billowed from the top, evidence that a fireplace was tucked within. As soon as Wynn cranked the car to a stop, a woman appeared on the large porch, holding her jacket around herself tightly.

"That would be my mom," Wynn said, and he nodded slightly. She hopped out and pulled the back door open so the beast could clamor from the seat, not bothering to lead him. Loki let a sigh drift quietly from his mouth and stepped out into the snow, propping one hand on the top of the car.

He watched as Wynn's mother – what was the woman's name, Helen? – nearly jumped down the steps to embrace her daughter. He drew closer, only half-listening to the mother's excited babbling. There wasn't much resemblance between the two, save for the wide, lucid eyes. Her mother was shorter and more round in the face, her hair dark – Wynn's opposite. Suddenly the woman was hugging him and he stiffened, not sure whether he should be annoyed, disgusted, or both. At least now he knew where Wynn got her hands-on approach from.

"And you!" she said loudly, "I've heard a lot about you! I'm Helen Randall."

"I am Loki Laufeyson, and how pleased I am to meet your acquaintance," he told her coolly, and took a small step back, enough to free himself from the cage of your arms.

"Loki? How unique. You didn't tell me he was foreign, Wynn," Helen said, turning to the girl, who put her hands up to feign innocence.

"Sorry, Ma, it didn't come up."

About that time, a high-pitched squeal ripped through the air, and Loki immediately despised whoever it came from. A girl about Wynn's height launched herself from the porch, sloshing through the snow to snatch Wynn up and fling her about. Loki clenched his jaw, having half a mind to yank that wretch off, but Wynn didn't seem to mind. Instead, she batted away the golden ringlets that she was being whipped with and kissed the girl on her cheek.

"Hey, Annabelle," Wynn said, and said girl pinched Wynn's cheek.

"How's my baby cousin? Ooh, is this the guy Helen was talking about?" she fired off, turning in his direction. He held out a hand and stiffly kissed her knuckles, which elicited a head-splitting noise that he supposed she thought was endearing.

"Loki Laufeyson," he introduced again, and the girl batted her eyelashes.

"Fancy."

It took all he had not to scowl in her face, so instead he smiled warmly and side-stepped over to Wynn. He made sure the irritant was watching closely as he wrapped an arm around Wynn's waist and pulled her close. If there was one thing he didn't need, it was a grating Midgardian wench making eyes at him. Wynn mercifully accepted his touch; the reason for his display of affection hadn't gone unnoticed by her.

"Jeremy and Susan had to run to town. They were going to wait until you two got here, but you're…a little late," Helen said, glancing down at the watch on her wrist.

"That's fine. I'll see them when they get back. Can we get our bags inside?" Wynn asked.

"You guys are staying in the old side-house. I took the last guest room," Annabelle admitted, and Wynn shrugged.

"You say that like it's a bad thing. Are you going to actually help or pretend you need to go to the bathroom like usual?"

"Now that you mention it, I did drink a lot of water. See ya inside," the girl crooned, and Loki tried to block out the overwhelming perfume she was wearing as she brushed by, kissing Wynn on her cheek.

Wynn slipped from his grip and followed her mother to the back of the car, opening the trunk and yanking the bags out. Loki, feeling generous, held out an arm to take her heavier suitcase. She took the bag that he had borrowed from the doctor and gestured her head to the side.

"There's a cabin around the side that used to be a rental. It's down the path," she told him, and he followed her lead, boots gripping the swept concrete path that wound around the house. Helen tagged along, jabbering about things that he couldn't even begin to fathom, and Wynn nodded intently at her words.

It was only a short walk through the trees to said house, which seemed to be a miniature replica of the main one. Helen opened the door for them, and he dropped the suitcase as soon as he could. It wasn't fitting for him to be carrying such a thing. Loki observed the rafters, the tinkling chandelier, the dark wooden walls and plush furniture. It wasn't Asgardian, but it would do.

"Do ya'll want to take some time and settle? It's near four, I can come get you when dinner is ready," Helen asked, and Wynn smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks, Ma, that'd be great."

"Okay. It's so great to see you again, baby. And nice to meet you, Loki," she replied (maybe a bit too giddy on that last bit), and waved over her shoulder before taking her leave. As soon as she was gone, Wynn heaved a huge sigh.

"I forgot how exhausting family was, and that was only half of them," she groaned, pushing back a handful of thick white hair. "I'm tempted to pretend I'm asleep and skip dinner."

"It was your proposal to visit," he reminded her, and she gave him a withering look.

"The key word was 'forgot'."

"I see. Well, it's only a dinner. I believe that we'll survive. Though your cousin may not if she continues in her way," he said dryly.

"I've wanted to kill her before, too, but the difference between us is that I wouldn't actually do it. Annabelle's nice, she's just…outgoing."

"Is that what you call it?"

"I'll let that one go. Now help me unpack, since you decided to bring your armor for some God-awful reason," Wynn grumbled.

"Do not forget that you promised Foster that you'd call her."

"Fine. But you're talking to Thor. He's been bothering me about what really happened to us in Asgard, and I can only spew shitty lies for so long."

* * *

Dinner, for all of Wynn's moaning, hadn't been as awful as he expected. The uncle carried himself much like Rogers, with a straight back and steady gaze. He asked Loki questions that he supposed were typical - what his career was, what his parents did, where he was from. Of course, every response had been a well-fabricated lie, but the man didn't even suspect.

And then there was the aunt, who doted over Wynn nearly as much as the mother, not asking him questions so much as treating him like another extension of the family. She reminded him of Frigga a bit, which made him feel strange. Very rarely did he encounter a Midgardian who reminded him of someone back home. He ignored Annabelle, who did nothing but interject random commentary and chat with Wynn.

The meal itself was warm and filling, a thick spicy soup and pillowy bread. It was much different from Asgardian food but still satisfying in his stomach. He was learning quickly that despite its disgusting appearance, Midgardian fare was not half-bad majority of the time.

Beside him, Wynn was currently stacking her silverware and dismissing them. Loki felt a rush of relief, because while he hadn't hated every second, he certainly didn't want to stick around.

"It's only seven," Helen commented, "Are ya'll coming back in?"

"Maybe later. But it's been a super long day, so we might just go to sleep," Wynn said, and Loki almost shook his head in disappointment at the shoddy lie. But surprisingly, the mother accepted it, and perhaps she was more gullible than he had taken her for.

"Thank you verily for dinner," Loki said as he followed Wynn to the door, and all of the women gushed something in response while the uncle just glowered at him suspiciously. Apparently, Loki's disappearing off in a separate house with his niece didn't sit well, and Loki resisted smirking at the man as he left.

Once outside, Wynn shrugged on her coat and took a deep breath.

"It was way too warm in there," she muttered, and he noted the deep flush in her cheeks. "Do you want to take a walk? Uncle Jeremy always puts up lights by the pathway. It's just a trail leading down to the pond and back."

"Fine," Loki agreed, and Wynn shoved her hands in her pockets with a smile. They passed by their lodging and continued on, down a path that split between the trees. True to her word, there were small white lights in every tree, and Loki almost had to admire the time it must have taken to string them. A snowflake fell every now and again, but for the most part it was still, as still as only the dead of winter could be.

"So I've been thinking about something a lot lately," Wynn piped up, and he raised a brow, not sure that he liked where this was heading. Whenever she claimed that she had been thinking, it often involved a lot of questioning.

"Please, don't restrain yourself," he said, sarcasm heavy, which earned him a spray of snow.

"I won't, because I planned to come right out and ask." Wynn stopped and turned toward him, face carefully calm. "I was wondering if I could see what you really looked like. As a Jotunn."

"No," he spat immediately, and her mouth bowed at his automatic reaction.

_Let her frown, then, _he thought bitterly.

"Loki. Please. I won't say anything if you don't want me to, I won't move, or do anything. I promise you. But I feel weird, being with you but not having seen all of you." She paused and then gave him a wry smile. "You've seen me after 48 hour shifts without caffeine, which I think is way worse than you being blue."

"Don't jest," he warned, and she dropped her smile. "You will wholly regret it."

"I doubt that."

"Then you're naïve."

"Or maybe you are. How can you tell me how I'm going to react?" she asked, lips drawn tight. He felt a surge of anger and some part of him relented. Let the monster be drawn out - the look on her face would surely prove him correct.

"As you say," he said blankly, and saw her stand straighter in anticipation. Loki flexed his fingers and stilled himself, drawing out his magic.

He could feel the slight tingling start in the tips of his fingers as the disguise fell away. Loki glanced away from her face briefly to see the deep azure spreading up his palms like a virus. Within a moment, it would engulf his face and his eyes would swim in red.

He was prepared for Wynn to run, knowing full well that he would go after her and snatch her back. At this point, her fleeing was not an option – she had asked to see this, nearly pleaded. Her terror would be her own fault.

He felt the creeping along his cheekbones then, like a thousand tiny spiders, and her eyes grew wide. A soft puff of breath came from her parted lips and hung in the air like a formation of their silence. He wanted her to say something, anything, or at least acknowledge what had just happened.

She took a tentative step forward, opposite of his expectations; one foot fell after the other until she was standing in front of him. One hand lifted slowly to gauge his reaction, and he stood still, curious as to what her intentions were.

His skin was not cold enough to seriously harm her, but it was certainly cold enough to be uncomfortable. He took solace in that when her fingers lit upon the raised markings on his forehead and ran across them. Her eyes searched his face, the deep brown of them swallowed by her pupils in the dim light.

Those slender fingers skimmed his temple and over his cheekbone where she lay her palm flat against his skin. Her thumb brushed under his eyelid and it took everything he had to not hide the hideous scarlet that he knew she saw. He allowed himself to lean into her touch for a split moment before pulling away. Her hand, dejected, fell to his shoulder.

"I know it sounds sappy," she said, "But Loki, you're beautiful. Really, there's nothing wrong with you."

He scowled and jerked away from her; the disgust he felt was automatic and blinding. Was she _mocking _him?

"And here I thought you were unable to lie," he spat, and Wynn blanched.

"You're the master of lying, Loki. Look at me and tell me I'm lying to you. I don't take back what I just said."

He narrowed his eyes at her, at the set of her jaw, the steady gaze of her eye. A scoff escaped his throat and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other numbly. The girl was telling the truth. She crossed her arms and took a small step toward him before pausing.

"Loki? Say something."

"Something," he replied blankly, and she pinched the bridge of her nose before reaching for his face again. Her touch was more confident this time, firm against the ridges on his face and gentle when she brushed his lips.

"Loki, I don't see what you think is wrong. You're the same, just more…blue and red."

"It's not so much my appearance as what I am," he told her, his voice sounding tired even to his own ears. She furrowed her light brows and shook her head, as if she was failing to understand.

"A frost giant?" she said, and then gave out a breathless laugh, devoid of humor. Her hand slipped down to grip hard at his collar. "So fucking what?"

She leaned into him, her slightness barely registering against his frame, and pushed herself up to press a light kiss on the corner of his mouth. He knew it must pain her to touch the ice of his skin; he could see it in the red swelling of her hands where she had caressed his face.

Yet she did it anyway; the kiss felt more intimate than anything he had ever received. Any touch he had ever gotten from those daft, impassive women had no hope of comparing. The heat of her lips seared him down to the bone, and suddenly he was gripping her by the back of the head, fingers twisting hard into the soft white of her hair.

He latched onto her mouth so quickly that her teeth clacked against his, but at the moment, it didn't matter. All he wanted was the warmth of her body, to hear her voice say his name in any form. Loki quickly gathered his energy and worked on pulling back his Jotunn form; he could feel the color drain from his face, like shedding a skin, and Wynn leaned back as much as she could with him still holding her.

"Too bad, it was a nice shade of blue," she said, one cheek dimpling as she smiled. Loki said nothing, only dove down once more. Her tongue was warm against his, her scent sweet and clean in his nose – it nearly drove him mad. He wanted her right then and there, in the snow, but she would keel over from the cold within minutes. Fine, then. Loki yanked back and reached around her to grab her by the waist; with one swift heave, she was over his shoulder, and the resulting high-pitched noise nearly made his ears bleed.

"I didn't see that one coming," she wheezed, gripping the leather at his back.

"Apparently not," he replied dryly, following the lit trees back down the path to the small house. Loki slipped his hand under her coat and laid it on the small of her back, the hot skin blazing against his fingers. Wynn gasped and wiggled at the touch, her hipbones digging hard into his shoulder. He picked up the pace until his boots met the swept concrete steps, the tiny light illuminating the still-falling flakes of snow. He pushed the door open quickly and shut it behind him with a kick, to which Wynn grumbled, "Watch it. I'm still back here, you know."

"Oh, I'm aware," he said as he carried her down the dark hallway and into the bedroom. With one flip, he had her thrown down on the bed, the only sounds their breathing and leather hitting the floor. He shed the trench, briefly toying with the idea of disintegrating his clothing before dismissing it.

"I can't see a thing," Wynn said, shrugging off her coat as she climbed up. "Let me light a few candles."

He nodded and busied himself with stripping down, and his actions were illuminated by soft glows flickering on one by one. Loki heard Wynn lay the lighter down and shuffle around before two warm arms snaked around his torso. Her bare breasts pressed against his back and he felt her teeth nip at his shoulder blades. An involuntary shudder ran up his spine, prompting him to swivel around and flatten his hands against her ribcage.

Out of nowhere, she gave him a hard shove, sending him back a step. He felt a jolt of shock at her sudden rejection when she gave another shove against his chest and said, "Come on, Laufeyson, can't you take a hint?"

_Ah._

"And since when do you command me?"

She scowled at his challenge and came at him with all her weight; though he could have easily stood against it, he allowed himself to topple backwards. No more than a second past before her mouth was at his throat, tongue slipping over his skin, and he craned his head back.

His eyes slipped closed as she worked her way down to his chest, her heavy breaths and bites from her fingernails making his abdomen clench tight. Her teeth suddenly sank down into the skin above his pectoral, and he snapped his hips up to jar her pelvis. She made a soft noise and returned the action without seeming to realize, grinding down so hard that a groan actually worked its way from his mouth. Loki clutched a handful of her hair and dragged her upwards to kiss her already-swollen lips.

"Hold on," she murmured, and rolled off of him to snake from her jeans and underwear, having already shed her boots somewhere in the room. Grabbing his bicep, she pulled herself back over and let her thighs grip either side of his hips. She began to say something he would never hear, because he pushed up so that only a strangled gasp could come from her mouth.

Loki held her waist and rolled his hips a few times before she finally began an opposite motion, the existing friction only getting stronger with each second. He watched her face – the hood on her eyes, the way she bit into her bottom lip – before letting his gaze slip lower. There were faint tan lines across her chest, a smatter of freckles across her ribs, and her hips were two sharp points that were currently rocking as if riding out a wave.

"Loki," she gasped, and he gave an immediate, hard drive of his pelvis as if to reward her for saying his name. Any rhythm they had had before was lost then in a myriad of harsh grinds and gasps. Wynn cried his name again in a cracked voice before clenching hard around him, nails digging into the pale skin of his chest. With a few more thrusts, he snapped his head back and followed her, entire body dissolving into one pulse of heat. They breathed harshly, attempting to gain some semblance of control, before Wynn pushed herself off of him only to slump down, hot cheek pressed into his collarbone.

"I thought we were just going to spend the evening roasting marshmallows or some shit," Wynn said, her voice slightly muffled by his skin, "But I'm okay with the change in plans."

"Just so we're clear, this is the in-between…not the after," he told her, and he thought he felt her smile. A beat of silence passed before she raised her head to look at him, lips pursed as though she wanted to say something.

"What do you mean to say?" he asked after a minute had passed and she hadn't voiced a word.

"Ah...nevermind. I was just thinking," she said, and lay her head back down. Loki frowned up at the ceiling, but knew that she would eventually tell him in her own time, considering that she couldn't keep questions at bay for long. He threaded his fingers through her hair to rest at the back of her neck and allowed himself to drift off into a light sleep.


	27. The Dead Boy

**Hey guys. I'm sorry, this has been the longest wait ever! Something went wrong with my laptop, so it went to the Geek Squad for almost a week. That coupled with a case of writer's cramp did this chapter no favors. D: ANYWAY, I hope you guys like this chapter. It ended up being the complete opposite of what I expected. I'm excited for the feedback.**

**OH GOD THE FEEDBACK. THAT REMINDS ME! WE HAVE PASSED 1,000 REVIEWS! I just...I can't. I cannot. I want to thank all of you for the continued support. I want to bake you all warm cupcakes, with the sole ingredient being MY FUCKING UNDYING LOVE.**

**Carry on.**

**Warning: Violence.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

When the man awoke, he was being dragged; hands were at each elbow, sharp fingernails digging into his soft flesh. There was a heavy ache at the base of his skull, and in the back of his mind he remembered the wet sound that his head had made hitting concrete. What had he been doing? He couldn't remember - walking up the steps to his apartment? Yes, that was it. He had almost made it, too, one more flight and he would have been at his door. And now he was being hauled around in some unknown place, mouth dry as though it was full of ashes.

Everything smelled like damp earth, and with bleary eyes he glanced upward to see large roots hanging from the domed ceiling like chandeliers. He was undergound, that much he knew, but where? With frantic glances he observed the legs of his captors, the pale shins encased in armor, bony knees flexing with each step. Suddenly they stopped and he was thrown forward, barely catching himself with his hands.

"The only one you could find?" The guttural voice from above asked, and the two women must have nodded because the voice continued, "He'll do."

"What the fuck do you want from me?" he asked, and his throat burned. How long had he been without water? He didn't even know what day it was, what time. Everything hurt.

"You work for the assassins, am I correct? S.H.I.E.L.D?" the voice asked, not answering his question, and he finally tilted his head back. Her red hair was wild, like a flame, and her eyes glinted in the torchlight like fish scales. She was beautiful and entirely crazed - maybe not entirely human. That was the only thing he could come up with, and his groan split the air when a foot crushed into his Achilles heel.

"Answer me," the red-haired woman hissed as she bent down and snatched him by the face. "You're much too slow."

"Yes," he gasped, eyes watering. "Yeah, I'm just a report keeper, though, I don't have anything to do with _anything."_

"What do they say about Loki Odinson?" she asked, and when he kept gaping at her, bruised mouth trembling, she squeezed his cheeks so hard that pockets of blood appeared.

"I - I don't _know_, shit, that freak came in a couple of years ago and I just filed the report for his profile. What do you - "

"His name," she whispered furiously, and her breath was hot on his face. Her teeth were yellow and pointed, and her mouth smelled of rotted meat. He wanted to vomit. He wanted to go home. But he couldn't give up information, he was trained to keep his lips sealed; the words tumbled out as if he couldn't control them, and to his horror, he realized that he truly _could not._

"Loki Odinson. Wait, no, the Director told me - it was filed under two names. Loki Odinson and Loki Laufeyson," he said, and saw the woman's face go slack.

She let go slowly and stood. Of course. She knew that he was much too different from the rest of his golden-haired family. His skin was too pale, flesh too cold. He was the bastard child of Laufey. The immediate rage sent her shrieking, and she lashed out, kicking the mortal boy so hard in the face that she heard his jaw snap out of place. He went rolling, blood staining everywhere, leaving a trail of teeth behind.

"Do with him what you will," she snarled, and the eager shadows that waited on the sidelines flickered forward.

Lilith sank down in the chair made of knotted roots, not bothering to watch as they tore the boy to shreds. Instead she gazed down at her hands, wondering how quickly she could concoct a batch of the poison. It was not the time for waiting. She wanted to see their faces twist in suffering before her, right at this very moment_._ But she was smarter than that - it was all about the draw, the anticipation, the torture. Loki would pay for both of his father's mistakes.

That girl of his, the tiny slip of a thing with white hair. She would go first.

* * *

Loki jerked awake at the sound of Wynn's cellular device going off, disturbing the quiet morning with the wordless theme song of...what was it? "Doctor How"? Some odd Midgardian show, anyway, that he didn't even try to keep up with.

"Wynn," he grumbled, and shook her hard. There was slight movement of her brows before she attempted to burrow deeper beneath the covers. He sighed and rolled from the bed, the cold air hitting his naked form like a whiplash. Normally he wouldn't have noticed, but Wynn's body kept it so hot beneath the covers that he was nearly sweating. Loki picked up the phone and fumbled with it for a minute, stabbing the screen repeatedly until he managed to unlock it.

"Yes?" he said to the device, and Agent Romanoff's voice replied, "Loki?"

"It is I."

"Where's Wynn?"

"Asleep."

"Could you put her on?"

"No."

"Merry Christmas Eve to you, too. Look, I need to speak with her," the agent snapped, and he glanced over at the girl, white hair snaking out from beneath the quilt.

"Give me a moment," he told her, and laid the cellphone down. He approached the bed and with a quick yank, ripped all the covers off of Wynn, leaving her in only a tanktop and underwear. The reaction was instantanious. She popped her eyes open and curled into a little ball, snarling, "You're an awful fucking man."

"Inform me of something of which I'm not aware. Agent Romanoff is on the phone."

Wynn crawled from the bed and stalked past him, hunched over and looking none too pleased. She picked the phone up from the dresser and said in a voice still thick with sleep, "Hello?"

Loki sat down on the edge of the mattress, elbows on knees, and watched as her face slipped from annoyed to horrified in one split second.

"What? I don't - yeah," she stuttered, and placed one hand over her eyes. "Yes. We'll start packing now. Be there as soon as we can. Bye."

She took the phone away from her ear and stared at it like she wasn't sure what to do with it. Finally, she placed it back on the dresser and headed to the closet to fetch her suitcase. Loki didn't say anything, choosing instead to watch her tip the suitcase over and start flinging clothes in, more messy than normal.

Finally, when she was attempting to get her jacket off of the hanger and almost snapped it in half from frustration, he asked, "What did Romanoff have to say?"

"Nothing," she snapped, and then gave the suitcase a hard kick. "She didn't say anything."

"Wynn."

The girl paused in her efforts, a blouse scrunched hard in her grip. He thought he saw her hands tremble.

"Fury is calling an emergency meeting. One of the S.H.I.E.L.D. security guards found a, uh..." she took a hard swallow, "A head. Just a severed head. It was left outside of headquarters. It's kind of obvious who did it, but Fury has no idea how they found the place. The kid they killed - I knew him. His name was Jacob Kinder. He was a report keeper. Nothing big, just filed information, manned a computer. Played poker on Thursdays. He was a nice kid. Smart."

Wynn grit her teeth and yanked on a pair of jeans, followed by her boots.

"I've gotta go tell everyone that we're leaving. Lie for me?"

"There was an emergency at work," Loki answered immediately, the excuse slipping from his tongue as easily as would a report on the time. "A complete system crash. They need you there. Make sure to sound extremely important and more than a little anxious."

"Will do," she replied, and flitted from the bedroom. He let out a hard breath through his nose and looked down by his feet, where Nanook still lay asleep. At least the beast could remain calm in Wynn's place. Loki stood and dressed, not bothering with Midgardian clothing. By the time everything was on, he was covered in leather and golden armor; the weight of it was sweet and familiar. There wasn't much to do except pack what little he had brought into the doctor's loaned bag - Midgardian clothes he had been provided, leftover ingredients for the elixir, various hygienic products. He didn't even bother looking at the mess that was Wynn's suitcase, choosing instead to just zip it up and allow her to deal with it once they were back at the tower.

Then he waited, occasionally toeing the sleeping mutt with the tip of his boot and sparking flames on his fingertips using his own body heat. Loki wondered if Wynn had figured out what the succubi hadn't wanted with the mortal as quickly as he had. While he doubted it, he knew she was smart enough to realize soon. So Lilith knew of his true father, then. The flame he was flickering lowly suddenly burst (in reaction to his anxiety, no doubt) and he had to swipe it from the air with his palm to avoid burning his eyebrows off.

A moment later, Wynn came tromping back in, bits of snow falling from her boots and melting into the floorboards. In her hands were bags, filled with objects wrapped in metallic papers.

"I told them we were leaving. They gave us our presents, and wanted to tell you bye, but since I figured you'd be dressed...like that...I said that you were busy packing. Which I guess is true," Wynn said, glancing at the packed belongings. Nanook, who had awoken as Wynn came into the room, stood on wobbly legs and stretched hard. Loki saw Wynn's mouth tilt upwards for a split second before it fell again.

"That sour look fits you ill," he commented, heaving both the bag and suitcase under his arms.

"Sorry, I'll try to look more jolly when the next murder rolls around."

"That's not what I meant," Loki said, but Wynn shrugged it off, tutting for Nanook to follow her from the room. He rolled his eyes - apparently he couldn't say the correct thing to a woman no matter what realm he was in. The walk to the car was wind-whipped and snowy, the flakes pouring from the sky in swarms; he nearly lost sight of Wynn from the neck-up, considering her hair blended perfectly with the snow. She started the vehicle and shoved Nanook into the backseat as he unloaded the bags into the trunk, attempting to stack them orderly at first before he gave up.

Wynn was already strapped in and ready to go when he sat next to her, but she didn't attempt to drive away. Instead she stared blankly at the snow that was collecting on the front of the car, hands resting on the steering wheel as if she didn't know what to do with them.

"He really was a nice kid," she said, her voice hollow. "And I guess you've already figured out what those bitches would want with a report keeper."

"From the moment you informed me," he replied, and she closed her eyes, the long lashes damp and parted from the snow.

"Sorry I've been treating you like crap. It's not your fault, it's theirs. For taking him away," she said, and he raised his brows. Wynn glanced at him and asked, "What's the look for?"

"I don't believe anyone has ever apologized for their words toward me. When Thor and I would fight, I was expected to apologize, not he. I suppose it's refreshing, if not misguided," he told her.

He felt that he should say something else, something about the dead boy, but he could find nothing to say about a mortal he did not know. So he reached out and touched her knuckles, pressing his palm to the back of her hand as it could communicate an apology. When he drew his fingers away from her skin, her eyes looked wet, but she did not cry. Somehow, that didn't surprise him in the least bit.

"Thanks," she sniffed, and pushed the car out of park. The wheels skidded the smallest amount in the snow before they were moving steadily down the driveway, the world a blank white sheet around them.

* * *

"Jacob Kinder, age 24. He was one of our youngest employees, and a damned good one too," Fury said, placing a single mugshot of the boy - barely a man - onto the table. Wynn noticed that no one leaned forward to look at the picture, not eager to see the smiling face of someone who was now dead. The only available piece of him was wrapped up in a morgue.

"He left headquarters at 8 p.m. sharp last night, and security found his head at approxiametly 4:22 a.m. Nothing but his head - no note, no anything. But I believe we're all aware of who the attacker is. What I'm not aware of is why they snatched a report keeper and tore him apart," the Director continued, and Wynn shot her eyes over to Loki. When he didn't speak up, she leaned forward.

"I think we know why, Director," she began, and Fury trained his attention on her. "He was employeed two years ago and filed the profile on Loki. What Lilith wants is Loki's name, sir, his true name. She must have figured out that he's not actually an Odinson by blood."

"And why would that matter?" he asked, and Loki spoke up, the first time he had ever opened his mouth in a meeting.

"Lilith has her own conflicts with Laufey, of who I am kin to. Being born of Laufey and raised by Odin is a toxic combination."

"I see. All right, let me sum this up for you, real neat and quick. I want a solution and I want it soon. If any other employees of S.H.I.E.L.D. are compromised, active agent or not, then you lose all ground. We will deal with this problem by any means necessary, and I do mean any. Are we clear?" Fury asked, and there was a immediate feedback of "yes sir" and "sure thing, Eagle Eye".

The Director collected the photo of Jacob and said, "I trust you will do some brainstorming and let me know what you come up with. Agent Randall, take notes."

"Yes, sir," she responded and Fury exited the room, black coat swishing out long after his body had. The room was silent for a moment before Stark raised his glass to say, "And God bless us, everyone."

"Stick a lump of coal up your ass and produce something worthwhile," Barton snapped, making Natasha pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Hold off on the rude comments," Steve sighed, like his heart wasn't in keep everyone in line for once. He, along with everyone else, looked stressed, beat to a pulp by the constant worry.

"I could throw another party," Stark suggested, but that only earned him a chorus of glares and groans. He took the hint and focused on texting Pepper instead, who was probably waiting anxiously to see how the meeting had gone. Or non-meeting, anyway - Fury always said what he had to and left, never interested in wasting time.

"Brother," Thor piped up, drawing Loki's gaze away from scraping at his palm. "Is there any way you can draw them out? You must know of some dark magic, surely."

Loki stared at him steadily, face neutral, before saying, "There is a way. But it would require a direct confrontation, and we've yet to manage that on our own accord."

"...Yes?" Thor prompted, and Loki rolled his eyes.

"A lock of hair. Perhaps a fingernail. I need something of Lilith's to perform a tracking spell. The image may be fleeting, but if done correctly, we may catch a glimpse of where she and the lilim are hiding."

"And you didn't think to mention this before?" Barton asked. Loki flicked his gaze over to the man and his lip curled in distaste.

"It did not seem worth mentioning, considering that I would not have had the ability to work the spell. My access to magic has just returned in full since seeing the Allfather. It would have been pointless to talk of something I could not carry out," he said, and Barton turned his head away.

"So then we figure out how to draw Lilith in. If we manage that, we go from there?" Steve said, leaving the statement as an open question. No one said a word in edgewise, because it was obvious to everyone that they were running out of options. And quickly.

* * *

The days passed tensely. Christmas, as it was, seemed like a blur. On the morning of, they all sat around the tree and opened what gifts there were, and for a few hours, all was well. There were drinks poured, a huge breakfast was made, and the floor of Stark's huge living room was littered with paper and ribbon. Had anyone looked in, they would have seen a family, albeit a very strange one. Especially when the gifts consisted of weapons, modern science manuals, and machinery parts that made Stark flail in glee.

Perhaps the best moment of the morning, for Wynn personally, was shoving a present in Loki's hands and telling him, "It's from me."

The look of confusion and quiet happiness on his face made her think that receiving gifts was an alien concept, but he opened the present and kissed the corner of her mouth all the same. It would have been a sweet moment had Darcy not let out a fangirl scream and Stark hadn't pretended to vomit into his Bloody Mary. But perhaps that was better than the look of absolute horror on Barton's face, which Natasha answered aloud, "Oh, please, are you _blind_, Clint?"

Thank God for Natasha.

Christmas morning, however, couldn't last. The tower's occupants lapsed back into a frenzy - brainstorming, patrolling, hacking through dummies in the training room. Banner and Stark disappeared into the lab, emerging occasionally to eat and use the bathroom. Wynn didn't bother trying to peek, knowing full well that she'd be kicked out as soon as she entered. She spent a lot of her time checking on Loki, who wrote and re-wrote the tracking spell, struggling to get it correct from memory. Wynn brought him food or asked him to go somewhere with her, anything to tear him away from his room, where he steeped in his own frustration.

Before she knew it, the day was New Year's Eve, and Pepper was commanding everyone to meet upstairs by the bar at 9. What seemed like a call for unity and fun was probably just a desperate attempt to coax her boyfriend and fellow science bro away from the lab, but nevertheless, everyone showed. Stark and Banner both needed a shave, Steve's shirt was unevenly buttoned (which Darcy fixed for him), and Thor was practically foaming at the mouth from his hours of training, but an air of calm swept over them once they were gathered.

It was a night for celebration, and the team allowed themselves to be blissfully ignorant, at least for a while. The played round after round of Jenga, poker, and beer pong, Charades and Pictionary. The NYC news channel played on the background, and Stark whooped each time they featured a shot of the tower. Finally, with fifteen minutes till midnight, they all bundled up and headed for the roof, intent on watching the Times Square ball drop from the perch. As Loki was adjusting one of the silken scarves Wynn had given him for Christmas, she huffed.

"Even with my peacoat, I'll freeze," she said, and reached up to tug his leather overcoat slightly, righting it. "I'm going to go get a sweatshirt, okay? Be right back up."

"Hurry yourself. I can only suffer them so long," Loki replied, mouth quirked, and squeezed her forearm as she slipped from his grasp.

* * *

Wynn sorted through her drawer, attempting to find a sweatshirt in the mess of things. She hadn't bothered to unpack neatly when they had come back on Christmas Eve, only throwing her clothes away hastily. Finally, beneath a pair of jeans, she extracted a green hoodie that she figured would sit perfectly under her coat. She slipped it on and as the hood passed over her head, she froze.

The floor had creaked behind her. A potent smell wafted to her nose, not unlike the stench of rotting meat.

Before she could turn, someone gripped her hood and threw her backward, hitting the floor so hard that she lost her breath.

"Oh, dear heart. How nice to see you again," Lilith's crooned, smashing Wynn's arms with her knees so that she was immobile. Wynn twisted from side to side, overcome with a blind panic, before she stilled. This was bad. This was very, very bad.

Red tendrils of hair tickled her face as Lilith crouched over her, a wide grin stretching her cheeks an unnatural amount. Despite the fact that Wynn's heart felt like it was going to leap from her chest and beat away, she managed to say, "Lilith."

"I regret that out meeting will not last longer. But it's only a matter of time before my presence becomes glaringly obvious."

"Why did you kill Jacob?" she asked abruptly, voice cracking, and for a second Lilith's face dropped in confusion before it brightened again.

"Oh, you mean the mortal whose head was left as a generous gift? He had information that I needed."

"I know," Wynn hissed, and Lilith narrowed her eyes. "But you could have made him forget and let him go. He wasn't a part of your fucked scheme."

"My children must eat, musn't they? Woodland creatures hardly have such a sweet taste as the blood of mortals, or so they tell me."

Rage made her face burn, so hot it hurt, and she didn't think as she yanked an arm free. The muscle almost tore, but it was worth it when she got a solid hold on Lilith's hair. A huge chunk of red ripped from Lilith's scalp, pulled away by Wynn's fist, though the woman hardly reacted. Wynn let out a cry of anger and pain as her arm was smashed back to her side, her small rebellion crushed.

"I like you," Lilith said brightly as she shifted back, her weight crushing Wynn's hips down to the floor. Lilith laid her fist onto Wynn's abdomen, and she flinched; it felt as though she had been stung by a bee, or felt the bite of a needle.

The woman sighed and then reached to pat Wynn's cheek. "I almost regret doing this to you. Almost. But if there's any way to draw him to me, it's through you. And pain is just another form of passion, is it not? They thrash so prettily as they die."

Wynn watched Lilith stand and step away from her. Immediately, she tried to move - only to find that she couldn't. Her heart thrummed even harder, if that was possible.

"Your body will be ravaged, but I promise, you will not die. You will wish for death, but you will live," Lilith said, her voice gentle. "That is, if Loki loves you as I believe he does. Goodbye for now, little one."

And with that, Lilith disintegrated into the air, her entire being swirling into wisps of smoke. Wynn lay there, eyes wide, overcome with shock and fear. Maybe a little bit of pain. Okay, not a little. The only thing she could do was make a small noise in the back of her throat as the intense sensation coursed through her body. Her womb felt like it was being dragged out with a dull meat hook, abdomen burning where Lilith had stabbed her. Without meaning to, she convulsed, her hairline beading with sweat.

_Oh, God, _she thought as her spine arched of its own accord, skull scraping the back of the floor. She managed to work her lips open and let out a yell as the familiar sound of Loki's boots pounded down the hall.


	28. A Brutal City

**WOW I actually forgot my author's note the first time around. Hurr durr. Anyway, as you can see, I'm back! And I'm so excited, let me tell you. I have the rest of this story plotted, and half of the sequel plotted. ALL OF MY FEELS. And I love you all and I'm really excited (but nervous) for this feedback and omg okay bye.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

The cold wind whipped the scarf around his face, but it was surprisingly quiet on the top of Stark Tower, above all the noise. Darcy Lewis popped a bottle of champagne and laughed loudly when the Captain had to duck to avoid the flying cork. Beside him, Thor held the small Jane Foster in his arms, and Loki wondered idly what was taking Wynn so long. It was odd to not have her by his side in the group setting, and if anything, it should have been familiar. He was accustomed to standing outside of the circle while Thor and his companions laughed over some joke he wasn't included in. The thought made the wine he was drinking taste sour in his mouth.

"Hey, Reindeer Games, where's your girlfriend? It's almost midnight," Stark called to him.

"She went to fetch another shirt," he replied, ignoring the ridiculous name, and perhaps it was saying it aloud that tipped him the wrong way. It took maybe half of a second before his heart began slamming hard against his ribs. Wynn had agreed to hurry back, and he knew how quickly those long legs traveled - no, something wasn't sitting right at all. She should have been on the roof by now, with him, head tilted back in laughter -

Chilled wine flowed as his hand as he crushed the fluted goblet, shards of glass dropping into the snow like tears. Lilith's sudden presence gnawed at him like a dog would a bone, sharp and grating. The air of dark magic that emerged was so thick that his throat felt tight.

"Dude, you just broke that in - Loki, hey!" Darcy yelled as he whirled on his heel and took off, nearly derailing the sliding glass door as he flung it to the side. He heard shouts from the roof as he flew past the bar, down the marble hallway, into the stairwell. It would do him no good to transport; any magic reserves he had, he wanted to save. His boots clanged loudly as he jumped from landing to landing, plowing down sixteen flights in all of twenty seconds. By the time he got to the floor of Wynn's bedroom, the stink of rot made him want to vomit. Whatever Lilith had used, it was extremely potent, designed to kill.

Loki wasn't sure what he expected to see when he smashed the door open, and perhaps that was a good thing. The shock of seeing Wynn convulsing on the floor, of seeing her tendons jutting as though they were trying to leap through her skin - it was gruesome, and yes, terrifying. His first thought was that she was as good as dead, but he strode to her side anyway and held her by either side of her head.

Tears leaked from her bloodshot eyes, and he said loudly, "If you can speak, do so."

Her lips trembled, and after what seemed like a great deal of effort on her part, she whispered hoarsely, "Hair."

Loki furrowed his brow, and then a spot of red caught his eye. Wynn clutched a lock of Lilith's hair in her hand, the ends ragged as though they had been torn from the scalp. He scoffed and shed his overcoat, throwing it across the room.

"Clever girl," Loki murmured, pulling the lock of hair from Wynn's fist and pushing it beneath his sleeve; he thought he saw Wynn's mouth quirk in what was supposed to be a smile. He kept his eyes trained on hers as he snapped off one of his arm guards and said, "I need you to do this for me. Try to stay as still as possible, and bite down on this as hard as you are able. Do you understand?"

Wynn glanced away from his face and to the ceiling, as if sending a silent prayer, before she nodded. Another wave of convulsions sent her writhing, and Loki braced himself over her hips. That at least kept her lower body still, but her torso arched upwards, so hard that he was afraid a rib may come popping out like a snapped twig.

"Open," he commanded, and Wynn wrenched apart her lips, letting out a pained groan as she did so. He shoved the arm guard between tooth and tongue before he pushed her jaw up to close her mouth. He didn't waste any time lifting her shirt, and while he didn't mean to flinch, he did so anyway. Veins, like tiny dark spiderwebs, threaded their way up her stomach and below the band of her jeans. He could see the point of injection, an ugly black circle that bloomed in the middle of her pelvis. Loki pushed his hand down on the spot and Wynn threw her head back, almost as one would do in the throes of passion, but a strangled cry worked past the band. Under her skin, something wriggled like a worm, and Loki clenched his jaw.

_Merchant's poison. And here I thought that had just been a rumor, _he thought blankly, because he knew what he would have to do. There was no cure for it, no herb he could feed her or salve he could rub. The only way to keep her from dying within the next five minutes was to literally extract it from her body through her skin.

"What the fuck?"

Loki jerked his head up to see Stark standing in the doorway, Thor and Stever Rogers peering over his shoulder. The horrified expressions that they wore was testament to how awful the scene must have appeared.

"Get in and shut the door," Loki said, and glanced at Wynn. "Thor, hold her arms."

Steve followed Loki's instruction, slamming the door to keep anyone else from entering the room without warning. Thor took three long strides and knelt at the crown of the girl's head, his large hands engulfing her shaking biceps.

"What sort of witchcraft is it?" Thor asked over Stark's frantic questions. Loki glanced up at Thor, disbelieving, but of course Thor wouldn't be able to identify it for what it was. The oaf had skipped half of their academic lessons in childhood.

"It's poison, the strongest I know. Don't let up your grip," Loki warned, and leaned forward, past the cage of Thor's arms to her ear.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and felt her nod. Almost as if he had been given a grant, he straightened, lay his hand on the flat plane of her belly, and pulled. Every ounce of magic he had went into pulling the parasite from her body, and he felt the sting of it in his palms immediately. Even worse was Wynn's instantaneous reaction; she thrashed, head whipping from side to side, muffled screams slipping around the band.

He couldn't look at her drenched cheeks, flooded by tears, so instead he was forced to watch as tiny pinpricks of blood exploded across her torso. It was almost as if she had been poked by thousands of needles, and where the skin was broken, black sludge seeped out. Loki drew his hand up, finding the action nearly impossible, but with every inch the squirming black ink lifted in the air. It felt as though his muscle would rip from exertion.

He blocked out Wynn's screams, Stark's loud curses, and focused on extracting the strands of poison until he felt the entirity of it within his grasp. It converged into one writhing mass, somewhat like a sphere, and he turned it over so that it floated above his palm. Loki grit his teeth and then crushed the sludge in his hand. It was disgustingly slick before it withered into a powder, falling through his fingers like sand.

Beneath him, Wynn breathed so hard that the rise-and-fall action actually rocked him in his place on her hips. Her belly was just one long stretch of blood, and Loki could see it pooling in her belly button like a morbid sea. Slowly, he lifted off of her, and allowed himself a slice of relief when her limbs did not go wild with convulsions.

"Is it over?" Rogers asked, and that snapped Loki out of whatever state of calm he had entered. He shoved Thor roughly, knocking him away from the girl, and wasted no time in rolling her to her side. Just in time, too - she wretched, and Stark groaned, jumping away from the flood of acidic vomit.

"Not at all," Loki replied, smoothing Wynn's white hair; it was wet with fearful sweat. "She will be horribly ill for a few days as the aftershock works through her system. I've drawn out the actual poison, but its mere presence was enough to sicken her body. It will be excruitiating for her."

"Can Banner give her anything?" Stark asked, voice strained.

"No. Let her body get the healing over and done with. She's strong enough," Loki said. "But she will need cold towels and a waste bin."

That was all it took to send Stark and Steve flying for the door, elbowing each other out of the way in their race to find the items. Loki rolled his eyes and leaned over her, hand at her shoulder. It felt like a bird skull in his grasp, fragile and shivering.

"Wynn?" he said at her ear. "Speak if you are able."

"Am I dead?" she asked, her voice scratchy and broken. Loki sighed and felt Thor's hand on his back, as if he was the one who required reassurance.

"You're very much alive."

"Oh," she said simply, and paused. "Lie to me."

It took him a second to comprehend what she was saying before he traced one of her light eyebrows with his thumb. "This won't hurt a bit."

He could have sworn he saw her smile before she was vomiting again, though the action consisted of mostly dry heaves. Once she had quieted, Thor assisted him in lifting her and dragging her to the bed. The two men stood in a tense silence until Thor said, "She'll pay for this, brother."

"Oh, you have no idea," Loki replied, and Thor gave him a steady stare before nodding. He left then, most likely to assist in explaining what had happened to the others. As soon as he was gone, Loki stripped Wynn of her clothes, the items stained with sick and blood. There was no point in dressing her again; her skin was so hot that it seemed as though it would blister. He sat beside her and rested his hand in the curve of her waist, listening to her ragged gasps.

Loki knew that Lilith had gotten what she wanted. She had forced his hand, knowing full well that to save Wynn, he would have to torture her. He almost admired her lethal tactics, but he knew that he could do better - much, much better. Poor Lililth, who didn't know how much Loki detested it when people laid hands on what was his. Or, most likely, she was fully aware of this fact.

Either way, she had just fashioned her own noose.

* * *

The sun was rising over New York City, making the buildings glint brightly. Thor squinted and took a huge gulp of coffee, which Loki was sure drained half the mug. He set the cup back on the table gently, which was a huge improvement in general. Loki propped his chin on his palm and stared out at nothing, enjoying the quiet morning as much as he could.

He had spent the entire night lying beside Wynn, listening to her gasp and wretch and mumble. The fever had gotten progressively worse until even holding her against his own skin didn't seem to help. He could lessen the heat somewhat by layering her with cold towels, which Pepper or Jane replaced every hour. He remembered reading in text that the latter symptoms of Merchant's should flush naturally, without any herbal aid. So there was really nothing he could do except try to keep her comfortable, which at the moment seemed impossible. The doctor was watching over her now so that he may have a short time of peace, but his mind would not stop racing.

"Brother, stop making such an anxious face. It's putting me off," Thor said, and Loki slipped his gaze over to him.

"Don't worry yourself, she'll be perfectly fine," he replied, tone clipped, and Thor frowned. They lapsed into silence again before Thor slid the mug from hand to hand.

"Banner informed me that he would run some tests after Lady Wynn is well. He fears that there may be damage," Thor said, and gripped the ceramic handle so hard that Loki feared it would shatter. "I know she is strong, but the poison...what do you think Lilith was trying to do? She could have easily stabbed her at the heart, Loki, not so near the womb."

Loki snapped out of his half-listening phase and assessed the fret that twisted Thor's features. He let out a sharp, humorless laugh.

"She was not with _child, _Thor. I've made sure of that. But it is obvious what Lilith was trying to take from her."

"That is the first...somewhat positive thing I've heard for hours. But brother, what will you do if-"

"She'll be _fine, _Thor," he spat, and for once Thor took the hint, shutting his mouth. Loki didn't want to hear him say such things when it was difficult enough to think them himself. He was almost ashamed to admit that he had never asked Wynn if she wanted children; she never spoke of it, so he didn't bring the topic up. But he had seen women cave in on themselves when they were told they would never have a child, or even worse, if they lost one. The pain of it seemed scarring.

Loki looked out at the city but the sight was no longer appealing. It seemed to him worn out and brutal as the sun bled on the horizon.

* * *

The next two days blurred by as he allowed himself to lose all track of time. He didn't bother to eat, but he accepted the tea that Jane fixed and drank it sitting on the couch in Wynn's room, book open in his lap. That was the only activity he participated in, as sleeping couldn't exactly be counted as one. Because that's all he did - sleep, or rather just laid there. He whittled the hours away beside Wynn, sometimes dozing, sometimes holding a book above his head or toying with the tracking spell.

She didn't do much but shiver, occasionally waking long enough to sit up and blurt out something nonsensical. Late into the second night, she had terrified him awake by thrashing around and screaming his name. Loki had had just enough time to snatch her around the waist before she went careening off of the bed in her sudden fit of panic. There was a good chance that she wasn't even aware that it was him that held her, but she latched onto him like a leech, her limbs slick from sweat.

And by morning, her fever had broken. She was still only conscious in short bouts and was hardly lucid, but the vomiting had stopped, along with the shaking. Darcy poured the smallest amounts of water down her throat every few minutes and the liquid, to his relief, stayed down. It seemed as though they had escaped the thick of it, but he couldn't be certain of what the aftermath would be. It wasn't what he was able to see on the surface that scared him.

* * *

Wynn awoke in damp sheets, her mouth so dry that she could feel the splits in her lips. Her entire body ached, and she could only guess that was a good thing, because at least that meant she wasn't dead. She rolled onto her side, grunting when a dull throb pounded at her abdomen, and managed to sit up. Letting her feet dangle over the edge of the bed, she breathed heavily, as if she had just run a mile (maybe two). The room was empty, but there was a stack of books on her bedside table and a half-drained mug full of that disgustingly bitter tea Loki loved.

Apparently he had been watching over her for...how long? How many hours, or how many days? Wynn rubbed her temples and closed her eyes, struggling to remember. The last thing that stood out in her mind was Loki straddling her hips as he had pulled that _sludge _from her body, Thor's hands closed around her arms to keep her still. It was all too easy to recall the pain, the bright red blood that had tainted her torso. But after that, nothing. A few flickers here and there of a face, of her vomiting into a trashcan, but no more.

It must have been brutal, though, because she reeked of sickness and her hair was dried in clumps from the salt of her sweat. She stood and bent her knees slowly, testing their abilities, before she trekked across the floor to the bathroom. All she wanted at the moment was to pee, drink, and bathe. Very fundamental things that, frankly, she thought she deserved. Wynn plugged up the bathtub and turned the faucet to 'C', hoping the cold water would counteract how overheated and sticky she felt. Upon standing, her vision swam, and she had to pull herself to the toilet by the rim of the tub.

Once she had relieved herself, she cranked the sink nozzle and tipped her head, taking huge gulps. The chill of the water flowing down her parched throat nearly made her cry, because it felt so damn good, the first pleasant thing she had experienced for what seemed like ages. She literally had to command herself to stop drinking, lest she throw it back up. On wobbly legs, she sank down to sit on the side of the bathtub, waiting for it to fill. Wynn observed her own face in the mirror, and at first, she almost didn't recognize herself. This girl's hair was matted and stringy, her eyes one big bruise. Around the darkened circles beneath her lids, her skin held an uncanny resemblance to the color of cement.

"Gross," she said aloud, and her voice was scratchy, raw. It hurt to talk. At least drinking the water had flushed her mouth of its sour taste, but it did little to alleviate the soreness in her throat. Suddenly, something moved in her peripheral and she jerked, heart lurching hard in her chest. But it was only Loki, leaning against the doorframe, looking extremely confused to see her sitting there.

The two stared at each other for a moment before Wynn croaked, "Hey there."

"You should not be up," he replied, still staring at her like she was a stranger.

"I feel okay. You're the one who looks like shit," she joked half-heartedly, but when he didn't even attempt to insult her in return, there was cause for a little alarm. Had Loki been kidnapped and replaced with someone else while she had been out? He seemed so on edge, so unsure - it was weird.

She continued, "Help me in, would you? I smell and feel like I just ran a marathon."

He trailed his hand down the door before stepping in, boots clacking loudly on the tiles, and held her elbow so that he could serve as a brace. Though Wynn didn't want him to know that it pained her, she couldn't help but let out a small grunt as she lowered her body into the water, muscles straining and sore. But it was worth it when the cold water swallowed her limbs, goosebumps rising on her flesh in reaction, and she immediately felt soothed.

"Oh, sweet Jesus, that's good," she muttered, and dunked her head. The shock of cold was much appreciated on her hot cheeks, and she held her breath as long as possible before emerging. By the time she broke surface, Loki had seated himself on the edge of the tub and was watching her over his shoulder. They sat without talking for a while, Wynn splashing her feet and humming to herself quietly. Finally, once she figured that Loki had been staring at the wall (broodily, she might add) long enough, she reached up and poked the back of his neck. He turned his head just a little so that they could meet each others' gaze.

"How long was I out?" she asked.

"Three days, nearing on four. It's almost ten at night, presently. I thought you'd sleep through to the morning."

"Oh," she said, and when she didn't go on, he rotated so that he could face her.

"_Oh_? I was expecting more than that," he said dryly, and she smiled. That sounded more like the Loki she knew.

"Like what? I don't remember anything since...well, since you took care of me," she told him, the last bit coming out more awkward than she had intended. There wasn't any good way to say, _the last thing I remember is the worst pain of my life, and you contributed. _Of course, Wynn knew that Loki had saved her (what was new?) and what he had done was necessary, but out of the context, the facts sucked.

He scoffed and said, "That's one way to phrase it."

"It's true. Loki to the rescue, once again. I should just get an emergency signal and call it quits. But aside from that, all I really want is a basic breakdown. What was that shit she put in me?"

"Merchant's poison. It's the kind of filth I had only read of in texts, extremely potent and fatal - in most cases. It is very like a parasite, ravaging the organs and blood," he paused and scraped at his palm, before saying, "When I went to remove it, I felt blind. There was no gurantee that you would survive. But Lilith had a purpose, and that purpose wasn't your death."

"She wanted to piss everyone off," Wynn stated, and Loki nodded slightly.

"That is what I gather. And I can say in full confidence that every person within this building is just that."

"Including me," she said, and heaved herself from the water. She was ready to go do something productive, whether it was hunt Lilith down or play errand boy for Loki so that he could perform that tracking spell. It had occured to her that she had gotten him the hair that he needed, so there was triumph in that, at least.

Loki stood and waited until she managed to step out before wrapping a towel around her dripping body. He ran his hands along her shoulders and down her arms until he was grasping her wrists through the soft cloth.

"Did you miss me?" she asked.

His kiss was answer enough, cool lips familiar and welcoming; the irony wasn't lost on her, that Loki was one of the last safe things she knew.


	29. Ash

**Finally got my lit. essay done so I could work on this. It would have been out sooner, but the computer I was working on deleted, like, half the chapter. ._. Anyway, it's a bit shorter than I anticipated, but I guess that's a good thing. There are two, maybe three chapters left in the story, and they will be very action-ey. Actionish? Whatever.**

**More news on the sequel later! And as always, a huge thank you to my reviewers, my followers, my favoriters, etc. You guys are the greatest and I love reading your feedback.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

Wynn lay on her side, one arm slung over the mass of fur that was Nanook's body. Loki had been exiting when the dog had pushed his way in between Loki's legs and flung himself onto the bed. It hadn't been a pretty scene, but Wynn appreciated the enthusiasm; after he had finished slobbering on her face, he had cozied up and managed to doze off. Which, admittedly, is all she really wanted to do at the moment. Despite the fact that she hadn't really _done _anything, she was exhausted. She hadn't even tried to jump Loki's bones in the bathroom, and that was saying something.

Wynn sighed to herself and landed an absentminded rub on Nanook's belly, which made his tail flop lazily in his sleep. It was only the creaking noise that made her eyes snap open, and she glanced up. She saw a head of dark curls pop through the doorway as Darcy peered in on her.

"Psst, Wynn. Are you still dead?" Darcy hissed.

"Maybe a little. I'll let you in anyway, though," Wynn said, and waved her forward. Darcy sidled past the door and shut it firmly behind her before doing a weird excited half-run toward the bed. She flopped down on the edge of the mattress and leaned back on her elbows, knocking into Wynn's knees.

"Dude, I'm so glad you're coherent now."

"As coherent as I can be. How'd you know I was awake?" Wynn asked, and Darcy gave a little shrug.

"Loki came down and was doing the whole suspicious whisper routine to Thor. I might've harrassed him a little bit until he finally admitted you were awake, probably just to get me to shut up. Oh, and I texted everyone to tell them that you were up and not puking on anyone anymore."

At that, Wynn rose to her elbow in alarm and almost crushed Nanook in a scrambled effort to right herself. She snatched Darcy by the shoulder and shook it a little, mostly to quell her own rising horror.

"I threw up on someone? Oh my God, I don't even remember that."

"I'm pretty sure Loki does."

The sound that came from Wynn's mouth was some sort of gross mix between a croak and scream, making Darcy shrivel away from her.

"It was just a little bit, and it totally buffed out of his shoes!" Darcy reassured (sort of), and after a second's pause, continued, "It's more Steve that I'd worry about. You pulled a total Exorcist on his pants. I'm actually surprised that your head didn't spin a 360."

"_Nooo,_" she moaned, and Darcy gave her a sympathetic, glad-I'm-not-you pat on the back. Wynn massaged her temples. It looked like she would have some major apologies to make, along with buying Cap a new pair of pants.

"Hey, so I have a question," Darcy said, bumping her elbow. Wynn looked over at her and saw the slightest bit of hesitance in her face, which was definitely not in Darcy's character description. Whatever guilt she felt for the puke scandal was overshadowed by the curiousity of seeing a shy Darcy - it was like spotting a unicorn.

"Shoot."

"Okay, so did it...hurt? Like really bad? Steve told me Loki pulled this..._goo _out of you. He said you wouldn't stop screaming," she said, and tried to bite her nail, but it was already gnawed down to a stub. Wynn reached out and gently plucked at the feathery soft fur of Nanook's tail for lack of anything better to do. She thought on it before she lied, "I can't remember."

Of course, she _could _remember. She, in truth, remembered every little detail of the pain. But Darcy already seemed weary enough, the bags under her eyes a sure sign that she hadn't slept well in a while. Wynn wondered just how badly she was stressing over the whole situation.

"Oh," Darcy said, and quickly worked to lighten the mood. "Well, there's your silver lining, am I right? And here, let me hand you a fun fact. Big, bad, mean old Loki of Sassgard was, like, a fucking mother hen. Don't give me that look, I'm so serious. I walked in one time and he was tucking in your bedsheets. When I started laughing I thought he was going to punch me in my throat."

Wynn laughed loud enough that Nanook actually roused from his sleep and raised his head before letting it fall back down, like his skull was too heavy to even lift. She patted him a few times on the side before raising her eyebrows at Darcy.

"Loki of _Sassgard? _That's cute. I bet he'd appreciate that one."

"Obvi. Like you haven't called him a name before," Darcy snorted.

"I called him 'sweet baby ice prince' once and he locked me in the bathroom for three hours," Wynn said, and Darcy started to say something before she dissolved into laughter. It got so bad that she whipped her head back and sent her glasses flying to the floor, prompting Wynn to get up and retrieve for her. As she was straightening, the sound of a loud knock on the door managed to be louder than Darcy's giggles. Stark popped his head in and Wynn gave him a wave, which he took as a "strut on in" signal.

"Wynnie! You're alive and only looking like half-shit, how delightful. And I want to say thank you, you're my hero. Capsicle let out the manliest little girl scream I've ever heard when you sent projectile vomit right onto his crotch. I almost peed my pants," Stark said as he crossed the room, swinging a set of keys in an endless circle.

Wynn rolled her eyes and gave Darcy back her glasses before saying, "Thanks, I'm glad I could be an inspiration and role model. Where'd you just come back from?" She gave a pointed stare at the Ferrari keys that Stark was flinging around his pointer finger, and the man shrugged.

"Me and Pepper went to a late movie. I have to act like a boyfriend sometimes, and considering that we're probably all going to meet a violent, bloody death here soon, I thought it'd be a nice gesture."

"I hope you saw something good."

"It sucked. Anyway, the gung-ho gang has gathered downstairs for a late night conference. Grab your mutt and Nanook, and assemble," Stark said, giving her a harsh pat on the shoulder while Darcy sneered and hissed, "_Rude."_

He sent Darcy a wink and backpedaled for the door, still swinging his keys, but he snatched them to a halt right before he left. With a glance at Wynn, he added, "And Wynnie, I'm happy you're not dead. But so help me, if you scare me like that again, I'm hiring a priest to do an exorcism on your convulsing ass."

_That was almost a sweet gesture, _she thought as the door slammed shut. Coming from Stark, it was probably as sweet as she would get. Turning back around, she and Darcy shared a mutual look of disdain.

"Let's go see what the Avengers are brewing next," Wynn said, pinching the bridge of her nose. Apparently, there was no chance of going to sleep now. Meetings with the group usually ended up in a lot of yelling and snarky insults with very little accomplished, but she hoped that the stress of their situation would actually pull them together. "Hoped" being the key word in that thought, no doubt.

* * *

The arguing had already begun by the time Wynn and Darcy arrived in the conference room. Stark's voice hit her like a slap as soon as she opened the door.

"Listen, Orphan Annie, we don't have time to plan this out! People are going down left and right and you want to waste time?" Stark yelled at Loki, who was clenching his jaw so hard it was a miracle that his teeth didn't shatter.

"It would not be wasted time if we have an impenetrable plan. Unless you want to risk having your jugular ripped from your throat, I would calm yourself and try to think rationally, which I know is a struggle for you," Loki retorted, and Stark let out an insulted scoff. Before he could reply, she and Thor locked gazes, and the man thundered, "Lady Wynn, Lady Darcy! You have joined us."

All heads snapped around and Wynn felt like she was back in middle school, introducing herself to the front of the class. She sidled the rest of the way in, Darcy nearly glued to her back, and greeted, "Hey guys."

There was a mixed chorus of replies, except for Loki, who only gave her a steady stare. She let her eyes fall on him for a split moment before looking away - that stare felt so raw. Like he knew something she didn't. It was unsettling, to say the least.

"Cap, I heard about the...incident. I am so, so sorry," Wynn apologized, pulling out a chair next to Steve and sitting down. He waved a hand as if to shoo away her apology, though it seemed pretty necessary to her. But she didn't drag it out, only patting his arm and re-adjusting herself so that she could face everyone, gathered around the table.

"How are you faring, Lady Wynn? Do you still feel ill to your stomach?" Thor asked, and Wynn shook her head.

"Not at all. But let's not talk about that. I'm guessing the issue at hand is how we're going to take down Lilith?"

"Yes. And the boys are pretty evenly split," Natasha replied, forearms braced against the table like she was trying to hold it down before someone flipped it.

"We should just go and get it over with. We're strong enough to take them on. Maleficent over there can work his voodoo and we'll be at their hideout in no time," Stark said immediately, jerking his head in Loki's direction. Thor nodded in agreement.

"Tony, I think we've discussed before how your not thinking things through gets us into the worst situations," Banner pointed out, and Stark rolled his eyes.

"We're all trained. We're all competent. We're all pissed off enough, that's for sure," Clint voiced, obviously siding with Stark and Thor.

"Clint, you haven't slept for almost two days. None of us have," Natasha said.

"The assassin in correct," Loki said, his eyes purposefully burning a hole through Stark. "We cannot go into battle as haggard as we are. What we require is a plan, a full day of sleep, and then I shall perform the spell. I know not how quickly they change locations, so it is in our best interest that I do so very soon before our departure."

"I have to go with Loki on this one. Think about it. We don't even know how many of them there are," Steve said.

"Not so many that we cannot handle. Have you not seen the repercussions of us sitting by, idle?" Thor asked of the entire room. "They have harmed us, body and mind, Lady Wynn most of-"

"And Lilith will reap what she has sown," Loki spat, cutting Thor off, and there was a beat of silence in the room. Loki's eyes flickered over to Wynn's, so quickly that she almost wondered if she had imagined it, before he stood. "This conversation is done. I refuse to send us all to slaughter. We will wait until tomorrow."

"Fine. Tomorrow night, no excuses," Stark replied, but Loki gave no indication that he had heard the man as he swept from the room. Wynn watched him go, brow furrowed, unsure of what had caused the sudden coldness. She wanted to follow him, but decided against it. Loki was a private person, and going after him in this mood probably wasn't the smartest thing to do.

The remaining group looked around the room at each other as the realization that a (rather abrupt) decision had just been made started to sink in.

"So was that meeting adjourned?" Clint asked, and Steve nodded. Clint ambled to his feet along with Natasha, and they both patted her shoulder as they went by. Neither of them were much for words, but Wynn got the message loud and clear. It was a nice feeling to be welcomed back into the world of the conscious.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Wynn?" Steve asked, already half-standing.

"No, Cap. You look tired. Go and rest. You'll need it," she told him, and he gave her a smile that was almost silly. As he left the room, Darcy gave her a wink before she followed him out, most likely aiming to pester him for a while.

Wynn swiveled around in her chair and stared at the remaining three. Stark threw back the last of his drink and lifted his hands up in surrender.

"Whatever, I'm out. Sweet dreams," he said, and stalked off. She doubted he would actually sleep, though. He would work off his frustration in the lab, doing...whatever it was he did down there.

And then there were two.

"Wynn, do you have a moment?" Banner asked, and she rose a brow, but nodded.

"I'll leave you two alone to discuss," Thor butted in, and made a quick escape that bordered on suspicious. Wynn narrowed her eyes at his retreating figure. Oh, there was definitely information that was being kept from her. She let out an exasperated huff and turned back to Banner, who was leaning against the table, staring at his brown loafers.

"What's up?" she asked, and he jerked his head in her direction, almost as if she had startled him.

"Right. There is good news. Since you became ill, I've been keeping tabs on your vitals, and at first they were extremely abnormal, as expected. Each day your body regulated itself a little bit more, and before you woke up, they were normal. Normal for you, anyway."

"Oh. That's great news."

"Yes, it is. But, ah..." Banner trailed off and pulled his glasses from the collar of his shirt. He swiped at them, despite the fact that he had just cleaned the lenses less than five minutes ago. "Thor let me in on something that's...upsetting. He wanted me to talk to you about it from a medical point of view."

"All right," Wynn managed to say, her voice calm, though her palms were already covered in sweat. When Banner had to talk medical issues, the information usually wasn't positive.

"The area of injection was in the abdomen. When poison, especially one that potent, enters the body, it spreads quickly. But the point of entrance and the organs around it will be the first affected, and the most damaged," Banner said. He turned the slightest bit, so that he was nearly facing her full-on, and it was only then that she could see the hesitation on his face.

_That expression could win you a career in soap operas, _Wynn thought, but the statement was humorless, more like a sad attempt at a witty quip before things went to hell.

"I scheduled you for a doctor's appointment tomorrow. They'll be giving you a battery of fertility tests."

Even before the words had come out of his mouth, Wynn had realized what it would be about. Still, it took her breath away, and she had to fight the choking sound that was clawing its way up. Clearing her throat, she scraped at her jeans and nodded. She feared that if she started talking, it would break down into blubbering, and then crying.

"I'll go with you," Banner offered gently, and she nodded again. A warm hand fell on hers and she squeezed her eyes shut tight.

* * *

"Loki?" she called, and gave a harsh knock on his door. There wasn't an answer, so she pushed it open and walked straight in. He hadn't even looked up from his book before she asked, "Did you know?"

His hand tightening against the book's spine was all the answer she needed, and Wynn gave a breathless little laugh. It wasn't quite anger that she felt, but rather incredulity. How had she not noticed that he wasn't telling her everything? God of lies and all that, sure, but shouldn't she have had an innate sense that something was wrong?

"So you knew and you lied to my face?" she said, and it came out even harsher than she had meant it to. She saw him work his jaw and then he slowly laid the book down, as if with great care.

"I did not lie to you," he replied, and his voice was hard as stone.

"You're right. You didn't say anything, which is even worse. You let me believe that the only reason I was attacked was to get everyone worked up. I was sitting right in front of you and you didn't think to fucking tell me that she meant to kill any chance I had at having children?"

Loki was on his feet before she could even blink.

"What difference would it make?" he asked, getting so close to her that his cool breath fanned across her face. "You will most likely never have a child, and that's what Lilith intended. There you are. Hold your truth for a moment and tell me if it would have been _any_ easier to swallow had I told you _any_ earlier."

The sting in his words lashed at her like a whip, and she had to look away from him. Her eyelids trembled shut and she took a deep breath, trying to rein herself in before she lost control of her temper. She wanted to be angry at him for what he just said, but how could she? It was the truth, what she had wanted, plain and simple. The only person she wanted to truly hurt was Lilith - no, she wanted her to suffer. That woman had taken away one of the last pieces of normality she had possessed. But standing in front of Loki and getting into a fight would do her no good. In fact, it would make everything worse, which was exactly what she did _not _need at the moment.

"I don't think I even wanted kids," Wynn said softly. "It's just the thought of not being able to. I can feel it, you know? I don't feel right."

She shook her head once, and then again, harder. "I don't feel right."

Loki was quiet, and when she finally risked a glance at him, his face had morphed into something alien. Something cold and dangerous. Without meaning to, a thrill of fear shot through her when he reached out and grasped her neck, but he only pulled her to him. There, she laid her cheek against the leather that covered his chest, listened to the thump of his pulse beneath flesh and bone.

"There's nothing I can tell you or give you to set things right," he said, and those long fingers ran through her hair, so gentle that she nearly forgot how terrifying the expression on his face had been. "But I can tear Lilith apart until she begs for death. I will reduce her heart to ash."

Wynn gripped the muscles of his back tightly as a memory surfaced to the front of her mind. The day that Fury had shown her Loki's pictures, the mug shots of him in custody, she remembered how unsettled she had been. His eyes in those photos had been bright as glass and twice as sharp; they were the same eyes she had seen literally seconds ago.

His cold hand was firm at the back of her neck, and she wondered if Lilith had any idea of what she had gotten herself into.

* * *

In the end, the doctor's appointment was unnecessary. The woman had been very sympathetic and had handled Wynn like a fragile trinket after the test results had arrived, because of course she couldn't know that Wynn had been ready for the news.

"It's similiar to what we'd see as a result of a parasite or infection," the doctor had said. "The eggs have virtually been destroyed. If any do catch, you have about a one in a billion chance of birthing a healthy child."

That was all she had needed to hear. A confirmation of her own knowledge, the final stamp.

When she walked back to the waiting room, Banner was sandwiched between two women reading parenting magazines, and it was like staring at someone with a horrible case of germaphobia. He was sucked into himself, trying not to touch them, and basically seemed miserable.

"Banner," she said, and he leapt from his seat, making the two women flinch.

He opened his mouth, but whatever he saw in her face made him close it.

"I'm so sorry, Wynn."

"Yeah. Let's go home."


	30. Mausoleum

**Oh my God, guys. I am SO sorry for the wait! I just got extremely busy and didn't think much about it until a week or so ago. Thank you so much for the reviews I've received in my long absence. Onto this chapter - shorter than I would have liked, but I wanted to give you guys something. I think it's a good lead-up for the climax.**

**Sorry again! My gross sobbing should make up for it. And please do tell me of any mistakes! I basically keyboard smashed through the edit in my frenzy to get it posted.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

The day passed in a heavy silence, like the still of a theatre as the curtain drew open. It was hushed within the Tower. No music played from Stark's lab; no one loitered around the bar or living room; Nanook's barking didn't pierce the halls. Instead, the beast was curled under the covers with Wynn, who was sleeping restlessly.

In a few hours, they would meet on the bottom floor of the tower so that he could track Lilith, and then the hunt would be on. The thought made Loki pace faster, end to end of the room. Frigga had often scolded him for this unsightly habit, but it was and always would be his default. If something would not ease in his head, he paced until his calves ached, as if tiring his body would tire his mind.

As he passed by the bed, he allowed his hand to trail over Wynn's foot, blue-chipped toes peeking from beneath the quilt. When she had returned from being seen by the doctor that morning, she didn't say much, opting to sleep the day away until they departed. Perhaps that was for the best, considering that there wasn't much that he could say to her. He didn't believe that any words could make this better.

Hit the wall, turn, pace back, hit the wall, turn.

This had gone on far too long.

* * *

Barton pushed bullet after bullet into the ever-filling magazine, brow furrowed and completely absorbed in his work. There was various clattering cycling through the room as everyone prepped their weapons, the loudest being Tony's final tweaks to the laser piece on his suit. Wynn had already sharpened the machete to a lethal point, so there was nothing to do but sit and jiggle her foot. The nerves had curled her stomach into a knot so tight that she hadn't even been able to eat, which was something she didn't think was possible.

"Wynn," Steve called, and jerked his thumb toward the door, "Darcy wants to talk to you."

Wynn pushed herself out of the hard metal chair and went for the door, peeking her head out to see Darcy leaning against the wall, arms crossed over her chest.

"Hey, Dar. Why didn't you just come in?"

"To the weapon hold? I'll pass. The last time I went in there Tony almost shot my toe off."

"Expected," Wynn sighed, and leaned back against the wall. "So what'd you need?"

"I just wanted to tell you to be safe, that's all. Because if you die, I'll totally kill you," Darcy said, and shoved her glasses up her nose. "So hug me before I get all emotional and ruin my mascara. That shit is expensive."

Wynn gave her a wry smile and the two embraced, squeezing tightly. Darcy's dark curls got stuck to the Chapstick on her lips and Wynn was pretty sure her cartilage piercing was stabbing the girl's cheek, but somehow the hug was comforting. Too comforting - Wynn didn't want to let go. It was easier to believe that she could stay in her friend's arms and the day would go on as the days had before, before this whole mess had started. But then Darcy was pulling back and Wynn couldn't do anything but allow her to slip away.

"So yeah," Darcy said, her eyes watering slightly. "Just come home in one piece. I'm gonna go say my good-byes to Cap."

The girl brushed past Wynn, and she stood there in the hallway, feeling a bit lost. It was almost time. Almost as if on cue, she saw Barton poke his head out from the room. When she locked eyes with him, he raised his brows and asked, "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," she replied, and gave a nervous yank to her suit, which was pointless considering that it was skintight. Hell, the outfit would probably outlive her. It wasn't flammable and stuck to her skin like a glove so that it couldn't be easily grabbed. So if she was going to die, at least she wouldn't croak with any body parts exposed, and there was her silver lining.

"Okay. We'll meet you down there. Loki and Thor are already there, I think," Barton said, and ducked back in. Wynn shrugged to herself and paced slowly down the hallway to the elevator. Considering what they were all about to be going into, she was strangely calm (on the outside, at least). Maybe it had something to do less with her personal safety and more with wanting Lilith's head on a silver plate.

The ride down to the parking garage seemed slower than normal, and when she got there, Loki seemed impatient. He was sitting on one of Tony's work benches, tapping his boot against the metal support bar over and over again. Thor was crunched up in a little metal folding chair with Jane hovering over him, fiddling nervously with his chainmail. The brass sword that Brunhild had given them was gleaming under the bright lights, looking cold and tiny lying across Thor's thighs.

"Hey," Wynn said, though the only one who verbally replied was Thor. Jane looked up to acknowledge her, and Loki didn't look her way at all. But he moved over on the bench, creating a Wynn-sized space, and she hoisted herself up beside him. The surface was so cold that she could feel the chill through the thick material of her pants, and she crept as close to the edge as possible.

Loki spun the mirror around and around between his fingers, the cheap blue plastic flashing in a blur. She had expected the spell to require a gold-plated mirror encrusted with jewels, or something equally ridiculous, but Loki had said it didn't matter. It just needed to reflect.

To her side, that same god cleared his throat impatiently and hit his boot against the table leg so hard that the whole bench shook.

"Easy," she said, "They'll be here soon and we'll be on our way."

"They take entirely too long," Loki replied, but it sounded dull rather than irritated. Obviously, he wasn't nearly as wired as she was.

"Patience, grasshopper. Tony is fixing his laser thinga-mah-jigs, and we don't want to rush that. I want him to hit them, not me."

"Your vocabulary is as mature as ever, Wynn," Loki said, which earned him a scoff. They fell into a silence and listened to Jane chatter away nervously at Thor. The stutter in her voice was painful to listen to, but Wynn knew how difficult it was to stay behind while someone you cared about went tromping off into a dangerous setting. Not many people could kill Thor, but if she had to put money on it, she'd put it on Lilith.

Wynn fluttered her hand over her abdomen absently before bracing it back against the bench.

"Friends, collegues...Loki," greeted Stark, his voice echoing off the tall walls. The iron encasing his feet boomed against the cement. "Please tell me we're ready to go."

"I was waiting for you to grace us with your presence, Stark," Loki scoffed, and pushed to his feet. The metal armor that adourned his body made a soft brushing sound against the leather, and the silver studs that ran down Loki's legs glinted sharply. Wynn wasn't even close to being his enemy, but just looking at him made her feel intimidated.

She got up as well and circled around to stand by Banner, who was busy wringing his hands. The man had insisted on staying behind after being told that the succubi would most likely be hiding somewhere cramped and inescapable. Wynn could see the decision pained him, though, by the guilt written all over his face. It would feel odd without him there, but it would probably be for the best. At least she knew another friend would be safe (ignoring the fact that he was practically indestructible). She held his sleeve gently and he gave her a supressed smile.

"You two can argue after we've finished this," Steve interjected, "Just as we've discussed?"

"As we've discussed," Thor said, flanking Loki, the sword held tightly in one hand and Mjolnir in the other. The plan was, all in all, very simple. Loki would perform the spell, track Lilith (how they would manage to find her, she still didn't know), infiltrate and attack. Of course, that was with all details and hurdles aside. Once they had actually gotten inside Lilith's hide-away, she was sure it wouldn't go as smoothly as it was written on the blackboard. Which Steve had insisted on to make it feel professional.

"Okay, I'm not getting any younger or sober," Stark said loudly, and Loki turned away from him with a sneer. He placed the cheap little mirror down at the same place he had been sitting just a moment ago, and pulled the lock of Lilith's hair from beneath his metal cuff. It seemed too bright against the pale of his hand, like the kind of neon color you'd get from a bottle. Loki smoothed it down on the mirror's surface.

"Agent Romanoff," Loki said without looking at the said woman, "Did you bring what I asked for?"

Wynn watched as she extended a fist to him and dropped a tiny piece of string onto his palm. That, too, was put on the mirror. Loki hovered his hand above the glass, and Wynn took a step back when he pressed his thumbs sharply against it, close to the sides. His lips moved slowly as he mouthed something to himself, a long string of words, and shut his eyes tight.

She waited for _something_ to happen, possibly involving a flash of light or pastel smoke. Something "magical". But there was nothing. Loki stood silently, jaw tight and thumbs rigid against the mirror. The chill of Stark's suit soaked into her skin as he leaned against her shoulder and hissed into her ear, "What's he doing?"

"I don't-" she began, and then cut off when Loki abruptly smashed the mirror with his fist. It splintered, tiny chips flying into the air, the center spreading out like a spiderweb. And slowly, the shattered surface began to bubble up with color as an image formed. There was a collective leaning from everyone so that they could properly see Lilith sitting upon a throne made of roots, bent over and fiddling with something in her lap.

"Well, I'll be damned," Steve muttered.

"Wynn, tie this to my index finger," Loki said sharply, picking the string off the mirror. The image of Lilith was fading, and the urgency in his voice was evident. He held out his hand to her and as she did what she was told, he said to Thor, "You and Stark will take to the skies and follow. When we stop, wherever it may be, land quietly. We need not give her an early warning."

Thor nodded, brow creased in determination, and handed Loki the brass sword. He turned on his heel to head to Jane, Stark following behind closely. Wynn hoped he wouldn't barge in on Thor's goodbye.

"Wynn," Barton said, and when he had caught her attention, he threw a set of keys toward her. "We'll be right behind you two. I'm giving you the Audi. Don't wreck it or I'm the one who's going to die."

"Your trust is astounding," she replied as she waved a final goodbye at Banner and rushed to catch up with Loki, who had already taken long strides toward the car. She grabbed onto his forearm, the armor cold beneath her fingers, and had to extend her step twice the normal length to keep up with him.

"So what's with the string?" she asked, half from curiousity and half to keep her mind busy.

"You'll see in a moment," Loki said, and they parted around the silver car. Wynn slipped into the driver's seat and adjusted it quickly while Loki crunched in beside her. The sight of him stooped over to avoid crashing his head into the roof would normally make her laugh, but it wasn't really the time for that. Instead she revved the engine on and asked, "Where to?"

Loki lifted out his hand and Wynn trailed her eyes down his leather-clad arm and to his finger, which he pointed out as if she were supposed to look at something. Instead she saw the string pulled taut and suspended over his skin, as if it was being yanked upon. Wynn gave a small huff in awe.

"Forward. It will change direction accordingly."

"Loki, have I ever told you how badass you are?" Wynn asked and she jerked the gearshift into the 'D' slot. The engine gave a roar as she peeled away, and in the rearview mirror she could see the Mercedes headlights go on and move forward.

"Not that I can remember," Loki said, "But I suppose I'm supposed to be appreciative."

She didn't answer, too busy focusing on the winding concrete tunnel that would open to the streets of New York. Night had fallen but the artificial lights of the city lit everything as bright as day. She half-listened to Loki's directions as she sped across the asphalt, the traffic graciously thin. The rest of her attention snatched up little details - the old theatre with the 'r' falling off, a streetwalker with pink hair, the smell of Loki flooding the tight space. Surprisingly, the extreme anxiety she had felt before had all but dissipated, choosing instead to linger at the very back of her mind. It felt familiar to have a mission, one objective and one enemy.

But for the first time, she felt no guilt in heading off with a team and taking someone else's life.

* * *

"You're fucking kidding me," Barton said, shutting the door as quietly as he could. Natasha got out and did the same before placing her hands on her hips, staring out at the setting with a look of doubt. Steve's face mirrored her own, and if Wynn wasn't mistaken, he was holding his shield up rather defensively.

"If I were soul-sucking bitch, I'd hole up in a cemetary too," Wynn told him with a helpless shrug.

"We're in the correct place," Loki said. "It's dampened down with dark energy."

"Mortals, Loki. Mortals," Natasha reminded, coming up to stand beside Wynn. The five of them stared out at the hillside, riddled with crumbling grave markers. A mausoleum loomed on the top of the hill, just a dark shape against the glow from the far city. Behind them there were two soft thuds, and Wynn looked over her shoulder to see Stark and Thor about one hundred feet behind the parked cars, dust settling around them. She had to admit, she was duly impressed that they could actually be that quiet.

"A cemetary. Really. All we need is for one of the girls to fall and break their leg and we'll have a winning horror movie," Stark said, voice metallic behind the iron face piece.

Loki narrowed his eyes in irritation, but whatever he was thinking was kept on hold. He began walking forward and after a second Wynn followed, boots crunching over the snow. They were silent, trailing after Loki's tall form. The only sounds were their footfalls and breathing, soft clouds suspended in the air from what seemed like a collective exhale. It would have been peaceful if the situation wasn't so eerie. By the time they reached the top of the hill, Wynn had begun to wonder where exactly they were going when Loki paused and then stopped.

"Here," he said, and Wynn pinched the bridge of her nose. Of course. Of course Lilith would pick the _mausoleum _to be the entrance.

"How'd I know," Barton groaned dully, and adjusted the bow on his shoulder. Thor placed two large hands on the washed-out stone door and gave a hard shove. It moved easily, and the door made a dreary scraping noise as it was opened. She could see his shoulders rise with a deep intake of breath before he slipped inside the darkness, Loki at his heels. One by one they filed into the pitch black, huddling together blindly before there was a sudden glow of light. Loki raised his hand above his head and the small orb of white light floated just above his palm, revealing a steep staircase. Wynn wasn't sure which was worse - the dust-and-bug covered walls full of dead people or the staircase into hell.

"How careless. Fortunate for us," Loki murmured. He took a tentative step down and tapped it with his boot. "It's not an illusion. Lilith is either not expecting us or is welcoming us."

"I hope for the former," Thor said, and his grip tightened on Mjolnir. Loki began descending the steps and they fell into line once again. The trip was slow, the light Loki held making little impact in the overwhelming dark. Steve nearly sent them tumbling like Dominos at one point when he stumbled, but thankfully he fell on Stark, who was sturdy enough for him to brace upon. Nevertheless, Loki hissed at them, and Stark managed to repress any snarky comeback he had prepared in favor of keeping their arrival as hushed as possible. Finally, the seemingly staircase ended and leveled out onto a earthen surface. The light of a fire burned on a far wall as the path ahead split in two different directions.

"Choose your own adventure," Wynn muttered.

"We're not going to be stupid enough to split up," Stark moaned at the same time Steve said firmly, "We need to split up."

The two turned to stare at each other before Stark shrugged. "Fine. The dumb blonde dies first anyway."

"We'll cover more ground that way, Stark. We need-"

"There's no time to bicker about tactics. We won't split up. The smaller the number, the easier the picking," Loki snapped. He gave Steve no time to discuss it by moving forward, thrusting the light in front of him in an effort to see as much as he could. They all shuffled forward, some more grudgingly than others, and followed the two brothers down the path. Wynn risked a glance up at the hanging roots that dribbled down from the ceiling and grimaced. Just when she thought it couldn't get any creepier.

They took the right turn, though Wynn couldn't distinguish a difference between either directions. The hard clay walls all looked the same. It was relatively quiet, no one daring to talk, when suddenly there was a loud crunch and she heard Natasha say, "Oh my God."

"What?" Barton asked, a slight edge to his voice.

"She stepped on a bone," Thor said. "I would recognize that sound anywhere. Keep moving."

Wynn inadvertently sidled closer to Loki; in fact, they all moved closer together. The sudden increase in tension was palpable. And then there was a wet splatter on her forehead and Wynn smacked her hand up. When she pulled it away, there was a brackish liquid smeared across her palm, and she tilted her head back at the same time Loki did. Above them, a succubus gnashed her teeth, suspended within the roots and saliva dripping down.

"Shit, move!" Wynn yelled at the same time the woman let go and came crashing upon them with a loud screech. Natasha pulled her gun and shot at her armored chest, but the bullet missed and ripped through its throat. The succubus latched onto her collar at the same time Barton wrapped his arms around her neck and thrust a steel-tipped arrow through a vulnerable gap in her back shield. Natasha let out a disgusted grunt when the succubus let out a sharp cough, splattering blood down the front of her catsuit. Barton yanked the demon back and she fell to the floor, silver eyes open wide and unseeing.

From down the hallway, in the darkness, a sharp shriek was heard. Wynn's heart lurched in her chest and she pulled her machete from its sheath.

"We need a plan. Now!" Steve yelled, raising his shield.

"Run," Loki said, and there wasn't a moment of hesitation. They all took off, the collective sound of their footfalls thunderous in the narrow hall. Torches passed by them at a blur, but an even larger light glowed ahead. They headed toward it at full tilt with the clangs of armor and snarls chasing them.


	31. Herja

**Oh. Wow. So this is the next-to-last chapter. That means ONE more chapter to go. I can't tell you guys how much this means; I'm actually finishing a story! I'll save the sobbing for my goodbye A/N, but all of you are the greatest. Thank you for all your reviews and assorted support.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Warning: Strong gore/violence.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

_"I know you can push harder than that, Randall! I want fifty more!"_

_The voice of her drill sergeant had pummeled against her drenched back, the dying sun still burning hot. The cheap tank top was stuck to her skin and what little hair she had was dripping wet, but she kept going as he paced her like a wolf on prey. Every muscle in her arms quivered like a bow strung too tight, veins filled with fire ants. Everything hurt. Wynn had taken the smallest pause, searching for the tiniest relief, when McFeland bent down and screamed into her ear, "You just earned another thirty!"_

_He had kept her after all the men had been released and ran her until she felt like vomiting; she had climbed so many rope ladders that her hands had bled. She was the only girl in boot camp and maybe that was why, or maybe he saw no potential in her, maybe he hated her. No matter what it was, she was always kept and run into the ground until it was full dark._

_Her mind went blank as she pressed out the rest of her fifty and added thirty, and when it was done she could do nothing but collapse on the ground. Her shoulder blades felt like they were ripping through her skin. There was the slightest reprieve before McFeland nudged her boot. _

_"Up. I want five more laps before you drag your sorry ass out of here."_

_And like the good little soldier she was in training to be, she replied, "Yes, sir."_

_She stood, tiny pebbles that had embedded in her palms falling away as she did so, and took off. All of her thoughts were a high blank wall. Each step made her knees groan, but she didn't feel it. If her father had done it, so could she._

_"Pain ain't nothing but a little playground shit, Randall!" McFeland hollered at her retreating form. "And when it comes for you, I'm gonna make damn sure that you know how to kick its ass!"_

* * *

They had just made it when the first one latched on. The room was a huge dome, roots hanging from the clay ceiling, making it seem low and hulking. The fire that burned in the center illuminated the three pathways that wound into darkness on the other side, and those particular escape routes seemed painfully far away.

Steve had taken up the rear and was the first one to go, the succubus throwing herself on him so hard that he was knocked from his feet. Her head banged against his shield and made a sharp cracking sound, but she kept grabbing for any vital body part she could. Wynn tore her eyes away from the violence to see nearly ten more flood in. She gripped her machete hard.

The room split in two. The dim was lit by Stark blasting away, bright shots of power ripping through a demon's chest so quickly that it was reduced to a smoking hole. Natasha popped off round after round from her handgun while Barton skirted to the edge, arrows ready for any opening he got.

That was all she could witness before her line of sight was blocked by a succubus, her skin white as paper and wild black dreadlocks like writhing snakes. Wynn braced her feet just in time for the tackle, so she stumbled but did not fall. There was a blaze of pain as two twin rows of teeth sank into her shoulder, but they released as soon as she thrust the machete upwards, beneath the leather armor. The squelching sound, accompanied by a sharp crack, was the only warning before her hands were coated in blood. The enemy dropped like a stone in water.

Wynn took a step back and surveyed the chaos. The floor was being littered with bodies, but more and more women appeared from the hall that had led them here. Natasha, Stark and Barton had formed a sort of front, picking them off from the sides. All close-hand combat was occuring in the center, the only guiding light being the dying fire.

It was only when another demon came hurtling toward her that she noticed Loki was missing. She barely had time to catch the foot that came swinging toward her head, and the sharp spike of the boot pierced her palm. A grunt of pain escaped Wynn's lips as she twisted the woman's ankle as hard as she could and pushed. With only one unstable leg, the demon went crashing to the floor, and before she could clamber up Wynn pressed down on the throat. With all of her body weight pushing down on her machete, the succubus' armor was torn through as easily as paper.

Before she could even straighten her back, there was a cold hand at her shoulder, and without thinking she spun, machete braced. Loki caught her by her forearm and squeezed so hard that she was sure there'd be a bruise, but she figured it was justified since the point of her weapon was directed at his eyeball.

"They'll hold off most of them. We're to find Lilith," Loki said, and jerked her forward. She cast one last glance at the miniture battlefield and caught Steve's eye for the smallest of seconds. He nodded.

* * *

The two ran down the path, the brass sword in Loki's hand glinting when they passed by what few torches burned on the wall. There was a smear of blood on his face, and Wynn coudn't be sure if it was his own or someone else's. Somehow, that little smudge of red made the situation very real and all the more frightening. Any of her friends could be dying at this exact moment, and despite the fact that they were going for the main target, it seemed a lot like running away.

"Loki, what'll we do when we find her?" Wynn gasped.

"Kill her," he replied.

"I know _that. _But nothing has gone according to plan so far. We don't -"

Without warning, he threw out his arm and she managed to skid to a halt before she ran right through it. Wynn opened her mouth to ask what was wrong when she saw the shadow slide over the wall. A woman materialized out of the air, much like when Loki played his invisible card, and stood in the middle of the pathway. Her long mass of auburn curls shone nearly as bright as Loki's armor in the firelight. They could do nothing but stare at her in the knowledge that Loki had caught her hiding and she had nowhere to go. For someone who he was probably about to murder, she looked relatively calm.

"You are going to kill my mother," she said finally, her voice husky, and it wasn't a question. The succubus crossed her arms over her chest, as if they were having an idle conversation.

Loki shifted his weight, as if assessing, before he told her, "Yes."

She narrowed her eyes at him, and then one corner of her mouth lifted into a bitter smile.

"Good," the woman said. "It's about time she perished. That's a given. My only real question at the moment is if you're going to let me live."

"I didn't plan on it," Loki responded, and took a step forward.

"That wasn't directed to _you_," she scoffed, and flicked her silver eyes over to Wynn. "It was directed at the girl. I'd be a fool to bargain with the master trickster. How say it, mortal? A life for a life."

Wynn glanced at Loki, and then back at the demon. "Why should we let you go?"

"I'm making you a deal that you'll be very glad you made. Let me pass and I'll trade you a life in return for the gurantee of my own."

"I don't really like ambiguous prices like that. It seems a little shady," Wynn said, and clenched her fist around the handle of her machete. Time was running low, and the whole idea of making any trade with a demon seemed very, _very _stupid.

"It's as simple as it seems. Do we have a deal?"

Beside her, Loki tilted his head down a fraction of an inch. _Yes_. Wynn grit her teeth; he had better be right about this, because there was no way they had the time to discuss it.

"Fine. It's a deal."

"Fantastic. I look forward to doing more business with you in the future," the succubus said, and Wynn could see the pointed teeth hiding behind her red lips. It made a shudder race up her spine, and she couldn't help but hold her breath when the woman brushed past them, leaving a sweet smell hanging in the air.

She waited until the footfalls were gone before letting out a sigh. Rolling her shoulders, she asked, "Why would you ever want to agree to that deal? That was literally the weirdest thing we've encountered all night, and that's saying something."

"Making deals and finding a way around them is something I'm quite adept at, if and when she decides to make herself known again. That aside, she wasn't lying - her conditions weren't barbed. It's one less quandary we have to handle at the moment," he said, and Wynn shook her head. The occurence was over and nothing else could be done, but 'doing more business with you'? That last little comment didn't sit well with her.

But Loki was apparently already past it, because he began moving forward again, and Wynn had no choice but to brush it off and follow. This was a problem for later, like he had said. They had bigger issues ahead. The rest of their rushed walk was silent, save for far-off shrieks in the background. At least she had confirmation that their side was most likely winning.

And then they came upon a tall door, rotting from the edges to center, and there was something waiting for them on the other side judging by how Loki stiffened his back.

"Loki?"

He responded by taking her hand and pushing something into her palm; she automatically wrapped her fingers around the smooth, cold vial. Loki leaned in next to her ear and said under his breath, "If I cannot assist you, throw it into her eyes. It will at least give you a fighting chance."

Wynn nodded and pushed the substance beneath her sleeve, watching as Loki approached the door and placed one of his hands against the splintering wood, skin appearing even paler against the grime. With a shove, it grated open and something clattered out of the way.

_Oh, God no, _she thought, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the long bone that had been moved aside. Loki stepped over it and into the cavernous room, its centerpiece not even bothering to acknowledge them as they entered. Lilith didn't even attempt to appear interested, choosing instead to keep sewing. The scene was more eerie than Wynn had expected it to be. She had anticipated Lilith to be gnawing on a raw lamb leg or something, with a pet hyena chained up by her throne. But she sat there, almost serene, working on a complex textile with her bare feet crossed. That was somehow worse, in its normality.

Loki crossed the floor slowly, his boots leaving imprints in the soft dirt beneath him. He was only a few feet away from the stone dais when she looked up and smiled at him.

"Hello, Loki Laufeyson. To what do I owe the honor?"

Wynn could see Loki's head tilt back the slightest bit as he smiled back, and he spread his arms out as if in welcoming. "I thought I would stop in for a visit and we could discuss our current predicament."

"Oh?" Lilith said, and drew up her needle to start on another row, "And what predicament would that be?"

"The one in which we are slaughtering your hideous children in the halls and you...well, you have your chance to slit my throat," Loki replied. Lilith's lips pressed into a hard line but she kept weaving the thread.

"I'm surprised that you speak of my children so heartlessly when that bitch of yours will never give you your own. But perhaps there's comfort in that. When you're but a rotting carcass and I sell her off to whatever lusting demon will have her, she won't bear a son that has not come from your seed."

"Jesus," Wynn whispered, and held her stomach. She felt like doubling over and vomiting. It was obviously a direct jab at Loki, but she felt the backlash, and it made her sick.

"That's not a concern that belongs to me. I don't waste time on fantasies," Loki said, but there was a palpable strain in his voice. And Lilith noticed it. She sat her textile upon the throne's gnarled arm and stood, smoothing the front of the white satin dress she wore. With a sigh, she hitched it up and stepped down the few crumbling steps to be level with Loki.

"I will tell you how this will go, bastard child. I will kill you, and I will kill that adoptive oaf of a brother, and I will kill your allies. My girls will suck the flesh from their bones and I will mount your godly heads upon the wall of the Asgardian palace. I wouldn't worry about being lonely, at least. I'll place you right between your brother and the Allfather."

Lilith cocked her head, and her long red hair tumbled over one bare shoulder. "But allow me to consider the other outcome. I die, and my girls die. You are victorious. And you are safe, for a bit. But I have been dreaming of your blood for far too long to expect anything less. You will fall, Laufeyson, and you will do so because of me. I have my means."

"How ambitious," he said, and took a step to the side; Lilith took a step in the opposite direction, and Wynn took a step back. The shift in the air was evident, and the white-knuckled grip that Loki had on the brass sword was testament to what was beginning to be set in motion. Another step to the side that she mirrored, and another, until they were circling each other. As her back was facing Wynn, it was then that she saw the dagger that Lilith held between her hands. Wynn motioned a stabbing action at Loki, which he undoubtedly caught, and all it took was the millisecond of his eyes flickering for Lilith to disappear.

She vaporized, and Loki stilled for the briefest moment before he whirled around, sword catching the air so fast that it made an audible noise. Lililth's suddenly visible hands caught the weapon and blood began to course down her white forearms, but she didn't let go. The harder Loki pushed the point toward her chest, the harder she pushed back, dagger held in her mouth by her teeth. Suddenly, Loki released and threw her off balance before bringing his leg up high and releasing it. The kick was like a shotgun, and Lilith took the brutal assault square in the face. The power from his kick was strong enough to send her flying back more than a few feet.

Wynn unsheathed her machete and bent her knees, ready to spring for an opening when the hilt of something hard collided into her skull. She stumbled forward, blinded by the sudden burst of stars, and felt a hand wrap around the high ponytail she had pulled her hair into. The ceiling was a sudden sight as she was jerked backward, mind reeling by the flip of direction, and she threw her elbow back on instinct. It hit her assailant beneath the ribs and there was a pained groan; the hand faltered in its grip and Wynn yanked away.

She had barely turned before she swiped the machete hard to the side, catching the woman's face and ripping the skin. The succubus howled, clutching at her cheek, and Wynn snatched up a handful of the dark blonde hair. It was greasy to the touch and tangled, but it was the perfect leverage to hold her in place. As Wynn drew back the machete, Lilith's shrill voice pierced the air as she shrieked, "Her belly!"

And the succubus responded by barreling forward, nevermind that a chunk of her hair was ripped out in the process, to headbutt Wynn in the abdomen. The pain was immediate and swift, drawing all breath from her lungs, and she collapsed inward. As she fell, she heard a sword being drawn from its sheath, and Wynn fumbled under her sleeve in a panic.

Finally, her fingers wiggled the object into her hand, and she looked up in time to see a iron sword hurtling down. She threw herself to the side, out of its path, and lilted forward. The velocity was enough to get her in close range and she smashed the glass vial against the succubus' forehead; smooth white granules poured out, flooding her face.

The woman whipped her head and stumbled away, one hand over her eyes, but Wynn could see the thin stream of blood that escaped between her fingers.

_Salt, _she thought, and sent a silent thanks to Loki for remembering that tip from Brunhild.

"Go," she heard Lilith gasp, and Wynn saw that she had been wrestled to the ground by Loki. She had just enough time to get out one more "go" before he brought his boot down on her throat.

The blonde succubus, who was still bent in half, flickered away in retreat, and it made Wynn briefly wonder why Lilith cared so much for just one of her children. She had never assisted them before.

She hobbled forward, abdomen aching from the more recent abuse, and stood by Loki. He had the sword pressed to Lilith's breast, and a blood spot had soaked through the white. It was now, when she was close, that she was able to see what she had missed. Dark blood flowed over Loki's armor, and Wynn could clearly see the flesh missing from his neck. Lilith's mouth was painted red - she had ripped it out with her teeth.

"So this is where we end," she gurgled under the pressure. "I regret that it didn't last longer."

"I can't say that I'll miss your company," Loki said, his voice raspy. He leaned down and dug his boot in until there was a sharp crack. "But I will not be the last face you see."

And then he grabbed Wynn by the sleeve and jerked her over, removing his hand from the sword's hilt in favor of her own. Once she had gripped it, Loki moved to the side but did not take away his foot.

Wynn stared down at Lilith, and she was surprised to find the woman smiling.

"How ironic, this. I take life from you and you take mine," Lilith murmured, and let out a choking laugh. "But you will never grace this world with a child. And you will never enter the garden."

"What garden?" Wynn asked.

"The garden of eternal peace. Valhalla, Eden. It doesn't want murderers, and you, my girl, are a murderer. You all are, just as I am. So I look forward to seeing you all again, someday."

For a second, she was able to imagine what Lilith had been like before, when she was still Herja and still a valkyrie. But whatever woman she had been was gone, and Wynn could only see a demon with blood all over her face.

"No," she said, and caught Lilith's gaze. "I'll never see you again."

And then she thrust the sword down with all of her strength behind it, tearing through bone and muscle and sinew. Red blossomed like a flower on Lilith's chest. She let out a quick breath and her body spasmed once, but there were no theatrics. She just went limp. Wynn let out a breath and hesitantly removed the sword from the woman's flesh; as soon as the tip left, everything began to fray.

Lilith's skin started greying, cracking and splitting at the surface like burning paper. Wynn took a step away from her body as it began to wither and crumble into dust, skin and organs reduced to no more than a tall heap of ash. What was left was only the stained satin shift.

Wynn waited, waited for some sort of last minute trick or attack, but nothing came. It was silent. She let out a sort of laugh, but if anything it was more a sob, and she bent down to hold her knees. Loki's cool hand reached the back of her neck and squeezed.

"Is it over?" she asked.

"For now."

Wynn let her eyes flutter shut and said, "I don't even know what that's supposed to mean right now and I don't care. We won."

She turned to throw her arms around Loki's midsection and they did a sort of awkward rocking, which was all they _could _do with her barely able to stand straight and his neck held to the side to prevent any more blood flow. But for what it was, things were looking good, assuming that the rest of them were okay. They had _won. _Perhaps the elation couldn't last, but for the moment it was real and Lilith was truly gone.

"We should go look for everyone else," Wynn said, and slowly let go of him. Loki reached out to touch her split bottom lip (which, when that one had happened, she didn't know) and glanced past her to what remained of Lilith's body.

"Bring the sword," Loki said, and he led her to the door, tracking through the dust and sending it into the air.


	32. The Vast Year

**Last chapter. My LORD. This has been a really fun ride, guys, and I want to say thankyouthankyouTHANKYOU for all of your support. Reviews, alerts, kind letters, fan art, all of it. My readers are lovely and amazing. There will be no A/N on the epilogue, so...this is my last one till the sequel. Wow. I love you guys.**

**Quick info on the sequel that I definitely know. Titled "The Bones of Summer" and should be out by December. That's about it. **

**Okay. I'm off.**

**Disclaimer: Only the OC(s), the rest is Marvel's.**

* * *

"Holy _shit," _Darcy cursed, and her embrace made Wynn ache. Not just physically, because it did hurt, but because it was a realization that they had all come back in one piece. More or less. Steve had taken a bad hit, grabbed around the ankle and his Achilles torn with a bloodied mouth. Banner ushered him off the moment they got inside to take a look at it, and Wynn's eyes flickered down to the trail of blood drops that had been left behind. The rest were hobbling like litte old men, but the relief on their faces were palpable.

"What was it like?" Jane asked, her voice high from anxiety. She had latched onto Thor's bicep as if he were going to get away when she wasn't paying attention.

"Terrifying and messy. But hey! Buffy the Bitch Slayer over there, huh?" Stark said, jabbing a finger over his shoulder in Wynn's general direction. He was too busy mixing liquids together to concoct what would no doubt be an extremely potent beverage. Pepper had to still his hand before anything could overflow.

"What?" Darcy asked.

"I stabbed Lilith. Loki did all the work, though," Wynn said, and nudged him. The credit fell flat, as he didn't react. He seemed listless.

"Thank the Lord holy," she sighed. "Can we have a party tomorrow or something? We should celebrate her death."

"No, we keep silent of it. Celebrations are only for those you love," Thor interjected, and Darcy raised one brow before understanding crossed her face.

"Oh, that's right, you guys party hard when someone dies. Forgot. Okay."

"It was morbid, to say the least," Wynn sighed. "And she, like, dissolved into dust. And some of the lilim got away. We couldn't kill them all."

She thought of the woman they had let go, and suddenly it felt like the biggest mistake of her life. But she wouldn't mention it, lest she be reamed by the others. If it came back to haunt her, she'd take the rightful blame.

The room was silent save for the sound of ice cubes clinking in Stark's drink. The sudden clatter of Thor placing the bronze sword on the bar seemed to echo.

"It's almost six in the morning," Barton commented, squinting against the bright glare of his phone. "I'm out. I have to sleep this off."

"You did well," Thor said as he and Natasha rose slowly from their seats, stooped over from fatigue and doubtless muscle ache. Barton gave him a little salute for acknowledgment.

Natasha gave her a pat on the shoulder as they passed by, and Wynn couldn't tell if it was meant to be reassuring or complimenting. She gave a tiny thanks anyway, but the woman didn't hear.

"I'm doing the same," Wynn said, and then turned to Loki. "You coming?"

"Shortly," he replied, and she nearly missed the quick glance that passed between himself and Thor. Either way, she was too tired to eavesdrop.

"Manly talk," Darcy whispered, and grabbed her sleeve. They walked to the elevator together and were quiet on the way to Wynn's floor. The air with fragile, because she could tell Darcy wanted to speak, though she was working hard to restrain herself. But as the doors opened and she went to step out, Darcy tapped her shoulder. Wynn pressed against the side so she could hear what the girl had to say.

"I'm glad you're okay. Really glad," Darcy said, pressing a button as she spoke. "I'm going to go check on Cap before I go to bed. But you know. I just wanted to tell you that. All this shit is over."

"Yeah," she replied, and let go. Darcy waved as the elevator door shut with a groan. Wynn stood there, arms crossed, rocking slightly. It didn't feel over. Not in the slightest.

Her trip to Loki's room was slow, as if she had aged and could hardly walk. Her joints felt swollen and hot. She shut the door hard behind her and immediately peeled the top of her suit off to inspect her shoulder. The bite marks on her shoulder had almost closed, but the pocks looked ugly and dark. It would disappear fully son enough, as if they had never existed at all. Wynn shed the rest of her clothing and fell into the cool bed with a groan, face smashed into the pillow. The thought of waiting for Loki briefly crossed her mind, but her descent into sleep was instantaneous.

* * *

When she awoke, who knew how long later, Loki was beside her and his white back was a beacon in the dark of the room. She gasped for air, yanking her face out of the pillow that had grown hot with her breath.

Wynn rolled across the bed, tangling the sheets as she did so. She pressed her forehead between Loki's shoulder blades and could feel the strong pump of his heart beneath the skin and muscle and sinew.

Back to sleep. It was deep and soundless, as if her conscious was stuck in a vacuum. And when she awoke once more, late in the afternoon, she was alone.

* * *

The information was quick and relatively painless (before she processed it, anyway).

Wynn had come upstairs around five and found Stark and Banner in the living room, where she sat with them in idle conversation. Eventually, her stomach drew her to the kitchen, and she wandered the halls splitting her attention between her sandwich and looking for Loki. When she found him, he was in the library, bent over a paper and writing something in his quick, neat script.

"Hey," she said, knocking on the frame of the door. Loki drew his head up and folded the paper in two before slipping it up his sleeve.

"Wynn."

She drifted in and plopped down beside him, unsure of what she should say. They hadn't discussed the night before at all, and maybe that was for the best. There wasn't much _to _say. But Loki had seemed more reserved than usual from the moment they had emerged from the mausoleum.

"Is something bad going to happen?" she asked, without being able to stop herself. A muscle in his jaw jumped, and she laid a hand on her abdomen without thinking about it. It had finally stopped aching sometime while she had been asleep, but something inside twisted harshly at his silence.

"Thor and I are leaving for Asgard tomorrow," he said, and scraped at his palm. "He will be returning within the week."

She rocked her head to the side and it only took a split second for her brain to process the information he had just given her.

It was not painless anymore.

"You're not coming back?" she asked, but it was not a question. The words were dull and flat with knowledge.

"No."

They sat together in the quiet, and Wynn tried very hard not to cry.

_Pain ain't nothing but a playground shit, Randall._

But oh, it hurt. This was a new beast, a brand of pain she hadn't felt in a very long time. Not since she had been a gangly young thing was choppy hair, hugging her father goodbye before he drove away to go fight battles that she couldn't comprehend. Suddenly she was twelve years old again and mourning a loss. Subtly angry and more than a little lonely.

"When we went to Asgard and I spoke with Odin, he did not soften the fact that I would be returning to prison. But he gave his promise that he would do what he could to shorten my sentence. Thor will give you an answer upon his return," Loki told her. "It seemed moot to tell you then, and – no tears. They're worthless."

Loki pressed his thumb to the arch of her cheekbone, hard, squashing the roll of salt water that had leaked from her eye. Wynn glanced at the ceiling to cut the flow.

"I know they are. I'll just…miss you," she finished lamely.

_I love you._

"You'll go back to how you were before."

"I don't want that," Wynn said, and grasped him by the wrist, yanking his hand away. She squeezed the bone beneath her fingers, knowing that no matter how much force she exerted, it would never break.

_I love you._

The words got stuck in her throat. She thought she would choke on them. But her mouth wouldn't open. So when Loki said, "Come to bed with me," she could only nod.

It was easy enough to lock themselves away for the remainder of the day, and their lovemaking stretched long into the night. It was feverish and rough, Loki knotting his hands into her hair and biting her so hard that it drew blood. But then, just when she thought he was done and knew the sun would rise soon, he came to her one last time, slow and heavy.

Wynn clenched the hard muscles of his back and pressed her cheek into the cool of his hair, knowing that soon the chill would be replaced with only the material of a pillow sheet.

* * *

She crossed her arms against the sharp breeze, but the snowflakes stung her cheeks despite her best efforts to stay warm. The sun was bleeding into the horizon as it rose above the city, and soon the streets would be flooded as people rushed into their day. As if nothing had happened.

Beside her, the leather of Loki's jacket creaked as he shifted his weight, and it roused her out of whatever trance she had slipped into. Wynn turned to him and focused on the hollow of cheeks, the column of his throat, the arch of his nose. Each detail.

"I will be departing soon enough," he told her, but his voice seemed very far away. It was resigned.

"I know."

The sun had stopped bleeding and was rising up in the sky, already masked by the smog that the city coughed up. The winter clouds seemed heavy.

"You'll see me off," he said, and it wasn't a question. Wynn didn't answer, choosing instead to grab him by the elbow and squeeze, hard.

"I'll be waiting for you when you come back," she said. Her mouth felt dry, but she was satisfied with the strength of her tone. It sounded like a proper promise.

His lips twitched into what could have been a bitter smile, and replied, "I know."

* * *

It was nearly four days later that a boom sounded on the main platform of the tower, and by the time she got to the correct level, Thor was already inside. He looked haggard, as if he had aged in his short time away. She grasped the back of one of the stools and leaned on it heavily, watching Jane greet him softly. He went through polite greetings, accepting hard pats on the back from Stark, but when he approached her, he couldn't seem to open his mouth.

"How long is the sentence?" she asked, and gripped the chair hard enough that one of her knuckles cracked loudly.

"A year," Thor responded, and the word fell heavy, like he had spat out a rock. "Odin had to fight for that, even. The council wanted his sentence to resume as it had been, but my father did what he could. A year was their truce."

"Can I write to him?"

"A letter a month. But chances are I can manage more."

"Thanks, Thor," she said, and turned to go. She didn't feel like looking into the faces of the others and seeing any sort of pity. All she really wanted to do was go back to sleep or brush Nanook until his coat shone. Something that would occupy her mind. The year stretched ahead of her, like a vast gaping hole, but she didn't want to face it. Not yet.

"Ah, Lady Wynn." Thor grabbed her arm and smashed something into her palm. "He gave this to me. For you."

* * *

_Wynn,_

_Do not forget this most vital piece. _

_You are mine. And when I emerge from my captivity, you will still be mine. My absence does not change that. _

_And upon my return, I will ensure that you know this fact and know it well._

_I promise._

_Loki_


	33. Epilogue

_Loki,_

_I hope the books manage to get in your hands. Not sure you want them, because I'm pretty sure Thor is smuggling them in down his pants. But I tried._

_This makes month six. I miss you. It's hit a slow patch here. Natasha and I just got back from some bullshit job in Japan that ended up being nothing. Actually, I'm supposed to be writing my report, but writing to you is more important. _

_Thor should be giving you another letter filled with my ramblings. Thanks to you for being the diary I never managed to maintain as a kid. You keep my inner journalist young. But I digress. I really just wanted to dedicate this note to saying I miss you. Except I already said that._

_I miss you._

_It's not the same without you around. Stark is a cow as usual but he can't take jabs at me like you can…sweet baby ice prince (and hey, you can't lock me in the bathroom this way). I don't know. I'm grasping at straws here. I'm so fucking tired. I've been having these dreams, I mean they're nightmares, and most nights I've been waking up choking. My chest feels so heavy, like something has just been crushing it or sitting on it or something. It's awful. And those dreams – my dad is in them, and he doesn't do anything, he just stands across from this dark room and stares at me. And he's bloody. It gives me the major creeps, but really that's not the bad part. Maybe I'm imagining it, but it's like in each dream he gets closer to me. _

_That sounded a lot worse written down. Disregard that. I'm giving myself the heebie jeebies. _

_I miss you. God. If you were here you could slap me out of it like you normally would and tell me I'm being irrational. It just feels so real. _

_But anyway, I'll let you get on to the happier letter and books and whatnot. You stay strong in there. _

_Love,_

_Wynn_

_P.S. – Did I tell you that I miss you? When you get back, the first thing we're doing is messing with Stark. My pranks aren't nearly as good as yours._


End file.
